D-Link DI-724P+ [8/102] Wireless basics

Wireless Basics

D-Link wireless products are based on industry standards to provide easy-to-use and

compatible high-speed wireless connectivity within your home, business or public

access wireless networks. D-Link wireless products will allow you access to the data

you want, when and where you want it. You will be able to enjoy the freedom that

wireless networking brings.

A WLAN is a cellular computer network that transmits and receives data with radio signals

instead of wires. WLANs are used increasingly in both home and ofce environments,

and public areas such as airports, coffee shops and universities. Innovative ways to

utilize WLAN technology are helping people to work and communicate more efciently.

Increased mobility and the absence of cabling and other xed infrastructure have proven

to be benecial for many users.

Wireless users can use the same applications they use on a wired network. Wireless

adapter cards used on laptop and desktop systems support the same protocols as

Ethernet adapter cards.

People use wireless LAN technology for many different purposes:

Mobility - Productivity increases when people have access to data in any location

within the operating range of the WLAN. Management decisions based on real-time

information can signicantly improve worker efciency.

Low Implementation Costs – WLANs are easy to set up, manage, change

and relocate. Networks that frequently change can benet from WLANs ease of

implementation. WLANs can operate in locations where installation of wiring may be

impractical.

Installation and Network Expansion - Installing a WLAN system can be fast and

easy and can eliminate the need to pull cable through walls and ceilings. Wireless

technology allows the network to go where wires cannot go - even outside the home

or ofce.

Scalability – WLANs can be congured in a variety of topologies to meet the needs

of specic applications and installations. Congurations are easily changed and range

from peer-to-peer networks suitable for a small number of users to larger infrastructure

networks to accommodate hundreds or thousands of users, depending on the number

of wireless devices deployed.

Inexpensive Solution - Wireless network devices are as competitively priced as

conventional Ethernet network devices.