Abstract
In the article on wireless networks we will talk first of all about the types of networks that exist, we will also see the beginning of wireless networks, the differences in speeds between wireless and wired networks and finally the advantages and disadvantages will be seen.
Definitions and types of networks
A network is understood as the interconnected set of autonomous computers. In other words, it is a communication system that connects several units and that allows them to exchange information. The network allows you to communicate with other users and share files and peripherals.
The connection does not need to be made through a copper wire, it can also be done through the use of lasers, microwaves and communication satellites.
Wireless networks are nothing more than a set of computers, or any computing device communicated with each other through solutions that do not require the use of interconnection cables.
Among the computer networks, we find those that connect a small number of people in an office, which is in a large company, these computer networks have the same characteristics among themselves, these are known as a network between equals, and they allow you to work without the need for a dedicated server.
Another variation of computer networks are local area networks, known as LANs, which allow a group of users to be connected where they can share files and resources such as printers.
And finally, we have WAN computer networks, which are those that communicate to users where the distance between them can cut across large geographic spaces.
WI-FI is a set of standards for wireless networks based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications, with this system it is possible to establish communications at a maximum speed of 11 Mbps, reaching distances of up to several hundred meters. More recent versions of this technology allow reaching 22, 54 and up to 100 Mbps.
Wireless networks
The main problem that normalization was intended to solve is compatibility. However, there are different standards that define different types of wireless networks. To solve this problem, the main vendors of wireless solutions created in 1999 an association known as WECA (Wireless Ethernet Compability Alliance, "Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance"). The goal was to create a brand that would make it easier to promote wireless technology and ensure equipment compatibility.
In April 2000, WECA certified the interoperability of equipment according to the IEEE 802.11b standard under the brand name WI-FI (Wireless Fidelity). This tells us that everything from the WI-FI seal can work together without problems regardless of the manufacturer of each of them.
In the case of wireless local networks, the system that is being imposed is the one standardized by IEEE with the name 802.11b. This standard is more commonly known as WI-FI (Wiriless Fidelity).
With the WI-FI system, communications can be established at a maximum speed of 11 Mbps, reaching distances of up to hundreds of meters. However, more recent versions of this technology allow reaching 22, 54 and up to 100 Mbps.
The speed of wireless networks
The maximum wireless transmission speed of 802.11b technology is 11 Mbps. But the typical speed is only half: between 1.5 and 5 Mbps depending on whether many small files or a few large files are transmitted. The maximum speed of 802.11g technology is 54 Mbps. But the typical speed of the latter technology is only about 3 times faster than 802.11b: between 5 and 15 Mbps.
In summary, the typical speeds of the different types of network are:
With Cables:
Ethernet 10: (transmitting at a maximum of 10 Mbps).
Ethernet 10/100: (successor to Ethernet 10) transmitting a maximum of 100 Mbps and has a typical speed of between 20 and 50 Mbps. Compatible with Ethernet 10.
10/100/1000 Ethernet: It is the most used now in wired technology and 10 times faster than the previous one. As it has begun to be installed at the same time as wireless networks, it has to fight with their versatility and ease of implementation. Compatible with the previous two.
Without Cables:
802.11b: approximately between 1.5 and 5 Mbps
802.11g: approximately between 5 and 15 Mbps. Compatible with the above.
802.11n: next standard. Compatible with the previous ones.
Advantages of wireless networks
The main advantages that wireless networks offer over wired networks are the following:
Mobility. Freedom of movement is one of the most obvious benefits of wireless networks. A computer or any other device (for example, a PDA or a webcam) can be located anywhere within the coverage area of the network without having to depend on whether or not it is possible to get a cable to this site. No longer do you need to be tethered to a cable to browse the Internet, print a document, or access resources.
Share from anywhere, make presentations in the meeting room, access files, etc., without having to run cables in the middle of the room or depending on whether or not the network cable is long enough.
Displacement. With a laptop or PDA, not only can we access the Internet or any other resource on the local network from anywhere in the office or home, but we can move without losing communication. This not only provides some comfort, but also facilitates work on certain tasks, such as, for example, those employees whose work leads them to move around the building.
Flexibility. Wireless networks not only allow us to stay connected while on the go with a laptop, but also allow us to place a desktop computer anywhere without having to make the slightest change in network configuration. Sometimes extending a wired network is not an easy or cheap task. On many occasions we end up laying dangerous cables on the ground to avoid having to do the work of putting closer network plugs. Wireless networks avoid all of these problems. It is also especially suitable for those places where sporadic access is needed. If at any given time there is a need for several people to connect to the network in the meeting room, the wireless connection avoids filling the floor with cables.In places where there may be guests who need an Internet connection (training centers, hotels, cafes, business or corporate environments), wireless networks are a much more viable alternative than wired networks.
Cost savings. Designing or installing a wired network can reach a high cost, not only economic, but also time and inconvenience. In home environments and in certain business environments where a wired network is not available because its installation presents problems, the installation of a wireless network saves costs by allowing the sharing of resources: Internet access, printers, etc.
Scalability Scalability refers to the ease of expanding the network after its initial installation. Connecting a new computer when you have a wireless network is as simple as installing a card and voila. With wired networks this requires installing new wiring or worse, waiting until the new wiring is installed.
Disadvantages of wireless networks
Obviously, like everything in life, not everything is advantageous, wireless networks also have negative points in their comparison with cable networks. The main drawbacks of wireless networks are the following:
Lower bandwidth. Today's cable networks work at 100 Mbps, while Wi-Fi wireless networks do it at 11 Mbps. It is true that there are standards that reach 54 Mbps and proprietary solutions that reach 100 Mbps, but these standards are in the beginning of its commercialization and has a higher price than current Wi-Fi equipment.
Higher initial investment. For most local network configurations, the cost of wireless network equipment is higher than that of wired network equipment.
Security. Wireless networks have the peculiarity of not needing a physical medium to function. This is fundamentally an advantage, but it becomes a disadvantage when you think that anyone with a laptop only needs to be within the coverage area of the network to be able to try to access it. As the coverage area is not defined by walls or any other physical means, potential intruders do not need to be inside a building or be connected to a cable. In addition, the security system incorporated in Wi-Fi networks is not the most reliable. Despite this, it is also true that it offers valid security for the vast majority of applications and that a new security system (WPA) is already available that makes Wi-Fi much more reliable.
Interference Wireless networks operate using electronic radio medium in the 2.4 GAZ band. This frequency band does not require an administrative license to be used, so many equipment on the market, such as cordless telephones, microwaves, etc., use this same frequency band. Furthermore, all Wi-Fi networks operate on the same frequency band including that of neighbors. This fact means that our radioelectronic environment is not guaranteed to be completely clean so that our wireless network works at its highest performance. The greater the interference produced by other equipment, the lower the performance of our network. However, just because you are likely to be interfered with does not mean that you do.Most wireless networks work perfectly without major problems in this regard.
Technological uncertainty. The technology that is currently being installed and that has acquired greater popularity is known as Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11B). However, there are already technologies that offer higher transmission speed and higher levels of security, it is possible that, when this new technology becomes popular, the current one will stop starting or, simply stop giving so much support to the current one. The truth is that the laws of the market are also marked by the needs of the client and, although there is an unknown, manufacturers will not want to lose the pull that Wi-Fi has brought and will do everything possible so that the new devices are compatible with the current. History has given us many similar examples.
Conclusions
As we well know, technology in regards to networks is changing and this is becoming better every time since, as we have seen, networks these days are better, faster, with greater security and what is wireless that already there are no cables.
In what is wireless networks every time they are better in everything, and in addition to that it gives us more comfort for an important aspect that no longer uses wires to connect computers to a network or connect to the Internet.
As we saw the speeds that wired and wireless networks handle, it was seen that the speed is faster in wired but something is already being done to make the wireless networks faster.
We see that wireless networks have more and better advantages than wireless, one of them is that when you visit a company that has a wireless network, people who have a laptop and have to use the Internet will be able to connect without the need for a modem.. That is if as long as it has been configured that way to be able to access the Internet.
Bibliography
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