Getting to know more about wireless networks - Part 1
This week we begin a multi-part series to help you understand a bit more about wireless networks. No longer just something in the workplace, wireless networks can be easily set up in a home to provide you with fast connections to both the internet and to files maintained on a central computer.
We begin with a few terms you should be familiar with:
Wireless Access Point (WAP) - This is where the wireless networking begins and ends. The WAP sends and receives radio signals that conform to the specifications dictated by a particular protocol, or set of instructions. The WAP should have a range of several hundred and possibly even more than a thousand feet, although its effective reach will depend largely on the physical environment in which you deploy it.
Gateway or router - A gateway acts as a translator of network protocols, opening the lines of communication among multiple networks. A router directs the data from its point of origination on one network to its intended destination on another network. Both may be coupled into a single device.
Network adapter - Also referred to as a NIC (network interface card), a network adapter is the peripheral device that lets a computer participate in a network. It functions as a transceiver, sending data to and receiving data from other computers that constitute the network.