Wi-Fi as a Type of Internet Network - Assignment Example

?Wi-Fi Introduction A Wi-Fi is the type of internet network whose nodes are interconnected without any wires, and the remote transmission of information takes place by means of radio waves at the physical level (Wysocki 2005). Since all current high speed wireless networks are using IEEE standards, especially 802.11g, the term Wi-Fi is used to distinguish wireless networks from other traditional wired networks. This paper discusses how Wi-Fi works, what are its advantages and limitations, and what the future holds for this technology. 2. How it Works? Before getting started, it is important to have respective service packs installed in the PC. A service pack is “a service pack is a collection of updates and fixes” that should accompany with the operating system (Fisher 2010, par.1). The main purpose of service packs is that they help from security breaches like network intrusion, viruses, Trojan horses, and etcetera. To set up Wi-Fi, you first need a broadband internet connection which is a high speed connection, very fast as compared to a dial-up connection using a telephone line. Then, you need a modem. For a wireless network, a cable modem is recommended which is a device that enables high speed internet connectivity. Afterwards, you would need a wireless router, that is, a device that will facilitate the flow of data traffic between all the PCs that are to be networked together (see Figure 1). Most laptops today have built-in wireless network adaptors which save one from buying an external adapter. Now, let’s explain how Wi-Fi works. The user should have the cable modem and the router hooked up to the wall. The modem is to be connected to the broadband internet connection, and the wireless router is to be connected to the modem (see Figure 2). The user will have to plug one end of the network cable, that came with the router, to the WLAN port of the router, and the other end to the modem. This is how the modem and router get connected. After the cable is plugged into the router, then to confirm if it has fruitfully connected to the modem, they should see the WLAN mark on the router. If it has lighten up, that means the user has done it. Now, the wireless router needs to be configured properly. First of all, the user needs to connect his PC to the router just temporarily using the network cable that came with the router, in any one of the wired ports on the router other than the WLAN port. He should, after turning on the PC and opening a page in the internet explorer, type in the address of the router in the address bar. He can get this address from the instruction manual he must have got from the router’s vendor. A dialog box will appear that will demand username and password. This also can be searched from the manual. After the password has been created, he will be directed to the router’s configuration page. The things that necessarily need to be configured are creating a distinctive name for the wireless network, enabling WPE2 encryption for network intrusion detection, and creating an administrative password. This will help him save his network from unauthorized access. After saving the changes, the router’s configuration is completed. He, then, needs to unplug the PC from the router. The PC will either automatically detect the router if it has a built-in wireless network adapter, or the user will have to configure the external network adapter by inserting the CD that came with it. The user will go to the wireless network icon in the icon tray located at the bottom right corner of the computer screen, select connect to the network, click on the name of the router, and get connected. The router will transmit information through the modem over to the internet. Wherever the user takes his PC, he will be wirelessly connected to the router. There will be no need to keep stuck at one place because there will be no wires connected to the PC. 3. Advantages First of all, the greatest advantage is that the user does not have to get stuck in bundles of wires, since Wi-Fi is a wireless technology (Wi-Fi Alliance 2012). Moreover, there are little electrical threats in case of Wi-Fi, because we see that wired networks are more prone to electrical threats since the system is not portable due to heavy bundles of wires. This kind of threat is most often accidental but sometimes may be intentional too. It includes fluctuations or surges in power supply, that is, sudden rise or sudden drop in the voltage, the efficiency of the supply and electricity failure. 4. Limitations There are some security threats in case of wireless networks. You have to make sure that the PCs connected wirelessly to your network are really your PCs and not your neighbors’ (Posey 2005, par.6). In a wired network, you can see by your eyes and through the wires which and how many PCs are connected to a certain network. A wired network is directly under the control of the administrator and therefore there is a trustworthy attitude toward the whole setup. On the other hand, wireless networks suffer from distrust, because you never know who is accessing you network from outside the windows within the access point. No matter how secure you make the wireless network, technology has enabled the hackers to devise more sophisticated means to create a security breach that is hidden from your eye. 5. Future Trends Brodkin (2012, par.2) states that Wi-Fi is going to become much better, as the “Technology upgrades we’ll see within the next year or so will make WiFi much smarter and more efficient in how it distributes signals.” According to him, Wi-Fi will become so fast that companies will employ it in many new gadgets and products, and this will enable the user to get rid of all internet-related cables and wires. 802.11ac technology will develop rapidly which will make signal quality superb by modifying the 5GHz band. 60GHz frequency will be used in 802.11ad technology, which will give higher-throughput, enabling speed up to 7 gigabits per second for small distances. Similarly, 802.11ac products will allow speed up to 1.3 gigabits per second for larger distances like the whole house. The new beamforming technology will amplify the speed of Wi-Fi for home users. Figure 1: Linksys Wireless Router (Microsoft Corporation 2010) Figure 2: Wireless Network (Microsoft Corporation 2010) References Brodkin, J., 2012. WiFi’s future: faster, smarter, and fewer cables. Technology Lab: Information Technology. [Online] Available at [Accessed 24 November 2012] Fisher, T., 2010. Service pack. About.com: PC Support. [Online] Available at [Accessed 24 November 2012] Linksys wireless router (digital photograph), 2010. Microsoft Corporation. [Online] Available at [Accessed 24 November 2012] Posey, B., 2005. Have wireless networks surpassed the security of wired networks? WindowsSecurity.com. [Online] Available at [Accessed 24 November 2012] Wireless network (digital photograph), 2010. Microsoft Corporation. [Online] Available at [Accessed 24 November 2012] Wi-Fi Alliance, 2012. What is Wi-Fi. Discover and Learn. [Online] Available at [Accessed 24 November 2012] Wysocki, B.J., 2005. Advanced Wired and Wireless Networks, Springer, USA. Read More