How do Wireless Networks work?

The key innovation behind wireless networking is that instead of using wires, they exploit radio waves to send data between computers. That's the simple description. However, if you wish to know more details about wireless networks, read on.

Ones and Zeros

As you surely know, digital data transmission occurs using binary: ones and zeros. This communication method is easily applied to radio waves, as computers are able to send out ones and zeros as different beeps. These beeps are actually so quick that human beings cannot even hear them - as a matter of fact, we are constantly surrounded by radio waves we simply can't hear. This fact, however, doesn't stop a computer from making use of them.

Morse Code

The principle behind it is similar to the Morse code. As you may know, through this code we can represent the alphabet in such a way that that it will be transmittable through the radio using either a short beep called dot, or a long dash. First used manually, the code became an effective way of sending information around with the development of the telegraph. However, what's even more important is that it is actually a binary system like a computer's ones and zeros.

Therefore, wireless networking can be though of as being similar to the Morse code for computers. After plugging a combo radio receiver and transmitter in so the computer is capable of transmitting its equivalent of dots and dashes (in this case, bits) to send your data from here to there.

All About Frequencies

How can a computer be able to transmit enough bits to send and receive data at such a fast speed? Shouldn't it have a maximum amount of data it can send in a second before it just becomes ineffective? Well, the answer lies in the fact that wireless networking can simply overcome this problem.

First, extremely high frequencies are used to send wireless transmissions, so that a lot more data can be transmitted every second. The most commonly used frequency is that of 2.4 gig hertz (2.4 billion cycles per second), almost the same as what mobile phones and microwave ovens use. However, such a high frequency requires a very short wavelength. This is actually the reason why wireless networking can work only within a limited area.

Moreover, wireless networks use a technique we call 'frequency hopping'. By using many frequencies in a certain range, they are able to always switch between them. Using more than one frequency allows wireless networks to be more protected against interference caused by other radio signals.

Access Points

The last step refers to all the computers on a network sharing Internet access made possible by using a particular wireless device called wireless access points.

Since access points have radios that can communicate to approximately 100 computers simultaneously and share Internet access between them, these pieces are more expensive than wireless cards for one singly computer. Because dedicated wireless access points are necessary mostly for bigger networks, if you have only a few computers, use either one of them as the access point or just buy a wireless router.

They Understand Each Other

You might have already asked yourself how can wireless equipment built by different companies be able to work together? The reality is that all wireless devices have certain standards in common. It is because hardware manufacturing companies follow these standards, called the 802.11 standards and set by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), that wireless networking is now a simple and inexpensive technology.

You Don't Need to Worry

Don't worry if all these details seem quite complicated, because luckily enough, wireless networking hardware and software manages it all automatically, so you can sit back and relax.

You will never need to figure out the frequency your computer needs to use, because it will know everything by itself without you having to do anything!

In spite of its complicated characteristics, wireless networking is far easier than what you would ever have imagined.

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