Wireless(SelectModelsOnly)
802.11 Wireless Devices
(Select Models Only)
With an 802.11 wireless device, you can access a wireless local
area network (commonly referred to as wireless network, wireless
LAN, or WLAN), which is composed of other computers and
accessories linked by a wireless router or a wireless access point.
• A large-scale WLAN, such as a corporate or public WLAN,
typically uses wireless access points that can handle a large
number of computers and accessories and can separate
critical network functions.
• A home or small office WLAN typically uses a wireless
router, which enables several wireless and wired computers
to share an Internet connection, a printer, and files without
additional pieces of hardware or software. The terms
wireless access point and wireless router are often used
interchangeably.
There are 3 popular implementations of 802.11 wireless devices:
• 802.1 lb
• 802.11b/g
• 802.11 a/b/g
Computers with 802.11 wireless devices may support 1 or more
of 3 industry standards:
• 802.11 b, the first popular standard, supports data rates of up
to 11 Mbps and operates at a tiequency of 2.4 GHz.
• 802.11 g supports data rates of up to 54 Mbps and operates at
a fiequency of 2.4 GHz. An 802.1 lg WLAN device is
backward compatible with 802.11 b devices, so they can
operate on the same network.
• 802.11 a supports data rates of up to 54 Mbps and operates at
a fiequency of 5 GHz. 802.11 a is not compatible with
802.11 b and 802.11 g.
For intbrmation on identifying the type of wireless device in your
computer, refer to "Identifying an 802.11 Wireless Device."
Hardware and Software Guide 5-3
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