Selecting Frequencies in Wireless Home Networking

Well, you can choose among 802.11g , 802.11b , or 802.11a . The question, however, is do you have to understand all of them? After all, you simply want to get connected and do what you need to do without having to worry about those cables.

What they technically mean doesn’t really matter. What you need to know is that these frequencies will give you the opportunity to connect to the Internet and even network all of your PCs. They differ, however, in three factors. These are in terms of the quality of your connection, security, and connection speed.

First of all, the 802.11a can give you one of the fastest speeds when it comes to wireless home networking. This is because it runs in a different frequency, much higher than others, such as those of microwaves and phones. Thus, there is less interference. Moreover, it can connect simultaneously with many computers. That is one of the reasons why majority of the businesses are going for this kind of wireless connection.

According to many experts, the higher the frequency of your connection will be, the shorter will be its range and the higher is its tendency to be absorbed easily. Also, the more it loses ability to conquer some obstructions such as walls.

You also need to take note that 802.11a and 802.11b are not alike at all. In fact, they are treated as two different frequencies, which may pose some problems. For example, if your PC or notebook is capable of only connection to 802.11b network, you cannot practically setup an 802.11a frequency. Fortunately, latest update in wireless technology is that there is a lot of wireless connectivity hardware available that can allow you to setup with any of those frequencies.

The 802.11b, on the other hand, is a much lower frequency. This means that you have longer connection range. Yet there are also some downsides you need to consider. For one, there will be more interference as it will likely share airspace with other electronic devices. Most of all, it is said to have one of the weakest securities. This is because the more you expand your range, the higher the tendency of being hacked by individuals located in far-flung and hidden locations who are interested in penetrating your network.

There are a lot of versions of 802.11 frequencies, but one of the most popular is 802.11g. This is actually a combination of the two previously mentioned standards. There are quite a number of benefits you can get out of it. First, there’s a longer connection range, similar to 802.11b. However, you’re not going to share airspace since it has a higher frequency like 802.11a. It also means it has quite a fast connection speed. Security is much higher and that it is compatible with the 802.11b wireless home network. Thus, you can save some money by not purchasing any other intermediary hardware that will allow you to change or set up connections with either new or old networks. The only downside is, it is definitely much more expensive.