Wireless Network

Wireless Network

Mobile communication and connectivity over networks have become indispensable with the increased use of laptops, cell phones, and other mobile communication devices. For an individual who is located away from the main office network, physical connectivity with the office network is not always possible. In these situations, wireless connectivity proves useful. The advantage of the wireless technology is that it helps connect distant networks without needing to physically set up cables between the destination and source points. A wireless setup uses the atmosphere to transmit and receive signals in the form of electro-magnetic waves using an antenna. The electro-magnetic waves can be transmitted through different types of wireless transmission carriers, which include the following:

1. Radio
2.  Microwave
3.  Bluetooth

Radio

 Radio transmissions operate on radio waves. Radio waves are electro-magnetic waves used for transmitting audio signals, video signals, and data. Radio waves are less expensive than other wireless media and are relatively easy to install. However, they require skilled personnel to implement them. Radio waves are only limited to low transmission capacities, from 1 Mbps to 10 Mbps. If low- power devices are used, they may also suffer from weakening and distortion. However, with high power devices, the attenuation rate is much lower. The limitation of radio waves is that they are susceptible to EMI and eavesdropping, which allow outsiders to tap into an ongoing transmission. As a result, they are not recommended for confidential information exchanges. The following figure shows a radio transmission tower.

Microwave

 Microwave transmissions send data over a higher bandwidth than radio transmissions. Although microwaves support higher bandwidths and longer distances, they are more expensive than radio waves. The greater the range of transmission, the more expensive is the microwave transmissions. Microwave transmissions setups are difficult to install as they require extreme precision. In addition, their transmission is affected by atmospheric conditions, such as rain and fog. Similar to radio waves, microwaves are also susceptible to EMI and eavesdropping. 

Bluetooth 

A Bluetooth is a network standard that defines how two Bluetooth-enabled devices transmit data using short-range radio waves. To establish communication between two Bluetooth devices, the devices must be within 10 meters of range. The data between Bluetooth devices is transferred at a maximum rate of 3 Mbps. A Bluetooth device contains a small chip that enables it to communicate with other Bluetooth-enabled devices. Some examples of Bluetooth-enabled devices are laptops, cell phones, digital cameras, microphones, and printers. When two computers share data through Bluetooth, the recipient computer has a choice of accepting or declining the data. The following figure shows the logo of Bluetooth.