Since there are no cables, wireless networks are very easy to install and offer something other network solutions do not offer - portability.  Like a cordless phone, Laptops on a wireless network are free to roam the house.  My laptop spends part of its life in the office, part in the living room, and sometimes a bit of time in the bedroom for some late night reading (or surfing!)  New tablet computers arriving on the market take advantage of wireless networks to create portable web surfing devices even more convenient than a laptop.  One day, networks may all be wireless, but the cost vs performance may still keep them out of the reach of users for a couple more years. 

Wireless networks are not without their problems. Wireless networks operate on Radio Frequencies or RF.  Each NIC or Network Interface Card has a Radio Transceiver attached to it.  Because wireless networks operate on Radio Frequencies, they are subject to the same interference as a radio.  Heavy walls, large metal objects near a tranceiver, even fish tanks can all interfere with radio signals.  When examining wireless speeds, realize that performance will vary.  I rarely expect more than 1/2 of the rated maximum speed out of a wireless network.

Popular Wireless Network Varieties

Name	Max Speed	Fallback Speed
RF 2.0	10 Mbps	.8 Mbps
802.11b WiFi	11 Mbps	1,2,5 Mbps
802.11g	22 Mbps	11,5,2,1 Mbps
802.11a	54 Mbps	? Mbps

 

Other wireless types exist, but RF and 802.11b/g/a WiFi are the only solutions that follow multi-vendor standards.  If you choose a solution that does not support a multi-vendor standard, you will be stuck using that single vendor for all your wireless networking needs.  Additionally, popular wireless broadband gateways and other accessories may not be available to you. For these reasons, Philex Technical endorses only RF and 802.11b/g for your networking needs.