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How to choose the right wireless network.

Posted By : Student of Katharine Gibbs School - New York on November 21, 2003

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I see that local stores are advertising wireless network equipment. One type is called "54G" and the other type is "802.11B". WHAT IS THE RIGHT ONE TO USE AND WHY?

This question was answered on November 21, 2003. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.


There are 3 802.11 specifications regarding wireless networking Here is a breakdown of the three:

802.11b is the slowest (11 Mbps) but has good range (100-150 feet in a friendly environment) and is the most affordable It operates at 2.4GHz, which means there may be interference with other devices operating at this frequency, e.g cordless phone It is the most popular format.

802.11a is much faster (54 Mbps) but has a very short range (around 50 feet in decent conditions) and is very expensive It operates at 5GHz, which means there is little to interfere with operation It is not compatible with either of the other formats.

802.11g is an almost perfect compromise It is as fast as a (54 Mbps) with the range of b (100-150 feet in a friendly environment) It operates at 2.4GHz, so interference might be an issue It is priced between a and b and is compatible with b, though the speed will drop down to 11 Mbps.

I hope this helps.

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Posted by Student of Katharine Gibbs School - New York on November 21, 2003

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