Wireless is a stable technology offering good inter- pretability between manufacturers. Below follows a brief guide to the general technology and products in our wireless range.

There are currently three main standards for wireless communication: HomeRF, Bluetooth, and 802.11b, an extension of the standard also known as WiFi.
802.11b is more expensive than HomeRF, has conside-

rably greater range, and supports speeds up to 11meg/second. There is a trade off between speed and distance as the signal degrades the card drops speed to keep the connection. Most manufacturers claim ranges up 500 feet but environmental conditions can affect claimed distances.

The 802.11b is an IEEE standard, much like classic 802.3 Ethernet. This means that products from different vendors are supposed to work reliably together. If all the devices on your network are wireless, all you need is

a wireless NIC for each machine. Unlike Ethernet, no central hub is required. This is called the "ad-hoc" mode.

If you want to integrate wireless into an existing network, you need to invest in a wireless access point to bridge between the two. This is called an "infrastructure" mode. Wireless technology also offers exciting opportunities for bridging networks and linking buildings without the need to lay fiber and without the continuing costs of a leased line.