Networking your office, and even your home, used to involve yards of cable and drilling holes through dry wall. But with wireless networking, also known as Wi–Fi, there's no need for cabling, and what little equipment it requires is easy to install. This makes wireless networking ideal for small businesses.
That's the good news. The great news (especially for business people who travel) is that by installing a wireless network card or a wireless USB adapter on your laptop computer you'll be able to access the Web wirelessly from a number of public "hot spots". The even better news is that you'll save time and money by sharing files, software, printers, and even Internet access (dial–up or cable or DSL) among colleagues.
What you need to go wireless
If you have a new computer, or are about to buy one, find out if it has a built–in wireless network card (also called a PC card or NIC). Many new computers come with one installed. Here's a rundown of the equipment you'll need to set up a wireless network. Keep in mind that wireless network cards come with a CD–ROM to guide you through set–up and installation:
- To network two desktop computers (including a shared printer), you'll need either a wireless PCI card or a wireless USB adapter. A PCI card will provide higher performance (and, if it's WiFi compliant, will let you access public wireless networks, such as those in some airports), but it requires user installation. A USB adapter is preferable if you don't want to open your computer, or if your PCI slot is already filled with a sound or video card.
- To network three or more desktop computers, you'll also need to add a wireless access point to go with the wireless PCI card or wireless USB adapter.
- If you want to network three or more computers and use an always–on Internet connection such as DSL or cable, choose a wireless cable /DSL router instead of a wireless access point.
- The networking equipment requirements for laptops are the same as for desktop computers, except that you would use a wireless PC card rather than a wireless PCI card.
Wi-Fi speed and use
Wi–Fi networks transmit data at up to 11 megabits per second (Mbps) — significantly faster, in other words than a T–1 line, the Internet access of choice for many businesses that transmits data at 1.5 Mbps. A faster wireless standard, Wi–Fi5 is in the works, but it still has limitations when it comes to range and transmitting a signal through walls. For this reason, ZD–Net concludes that "your best bet is to forget about rolling out a large 802.11a [Wi–Fi5] wireless network."1
Wi–Fi is a great networking solution for almost any business. While there is no maximum number of computers that can be networked wirelessly, the optimum number is anywhere from 2 to 20. If you're a large business with a lot of computer work stations, remember to install a wireless access point every 150 feet. All of the Wi–Fi equipment described in this article come with WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol), which will protect your wireless network from hackers.
Finding "hot spots"
Hot spots are public areas where laptops equipped with Wi–Fi can tap into wireless Internet access. Places that commonly install hot spots include airports, cafes, hotels, and campuses. More hot spots are springing up all the time.
To find out if your favorite places and common business haunts (hotels or aiports) offer wireless Internet, go to WiFinder. When you visit a place with a hot spot, you can sign up for an account by activating your wireless PC card's beacon.
If you're a small business owner who's considering installing mobile access to attract more business customers, visit T–Mobile, or WayPort for more information.
Sharing a common printer
Connecting networked computers to the same printer simply requires connecting one of the computers on the network to the printer. The problem with this method, however, is that it can slow the printer's response time.
To ensure a quick, responsive connection, you can attach the main computer in the network to a print server, which connects to a switch or router via an Ethernet port. From there, the print server plugs into the printer via an Ethernet port.
