What is Wireless LAN?
[[Image:wireless network.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The notebook is connected to the wireless access point using a [[PC card]] wireless card.]] [[Image:WI-FI Range Diagram.svg|thumb|300px|A diagram showing a Wi-Fi network]]In computing, '''Wireless LAN (WLAN)''' or '''Wireless local area network''' is a term to refer to a [[Local Area Network]] that does not need [[cable]]s to connect the different devices. Instead, [[radio wave]]s and [[IEEE 802.11]] are used to communicate. == Benefits of Wireless LANs == * People can access the network from where they want; they are no longer limited by the length of the cable. * Some places and vehicles have a Wireless LAN [[Hotspot (computers)|hotspot]]. This lets people access the internet even outside their normal work environment, for example in a restaurant or train. * Setting up a wireless LAN can be done with one box called [[wireless access point]] or [[wireless router]]. This box can handle many connections at the same time. Wired networks require cables to be laid. This can be difficult for certain places. * Access points can serve a varying number of computers. == Disadvantages of Wireless LANs == * Wireless LANs use radio waves to communicate. Special care needs to be taken to [[encryption|encrypt]] information. * The signal is noisier than on wires, and more bandwidth needs to be spent on [[error correction]]. * A typical IEEE 802.11 access point has A ''range'' of meters from where devices can connect. To extend the range more access points are needed. * There are many reliability problems, especially those connected to [[interference]] from other devices. * Wireless LANs are much slower than wired ones; this may not matter for most users though, because the bottleneck in a home network is usually the speed of the [[ADSL]] line or other Internet connection. == Technologies used == Today, most technologies used for WLANs use [[Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing]]. This means that several [[frequency|frequencies]] are used at the same time. Signals tha