Wireless Overview
Products
Introduction
Wireless is freedom on the move! Imagine having access to the Internet and
network anytime, anywhere in your home or office. Connect PC's, laptops,
printers and scanners from any room indoors and out. You can check your email
from the garden, download documents while attending a meeting or surf the
Internet from the comfort of your own sofa. Once upon a time we looked to the
cellular phone to break free from the confines of a wired system - now Wireless
Networking can do the same.
Wireless Networking
A wireless network connects your laptops, desktops and computer peripherals,
allowing you to share files, simultaneous Internet connections and the network.
With wireless you have added freedom to move from one location to another and
can add additional users cost effectively. With a wireless network you can
expand your business and retain your investment. Add users without the need for
timely cable installations - move premises and take the network with you. You
can install a network in hard to wire locations where cabling is costly or not
allowed. Wireless Networking is the most adaptable technology for multiple
environments - whether it is at home or in the office. Applications are also
available for public places and indoor/outdoor environments.
Technology
Wireless LAN's make use of electromagnetic wavelengths (radio or infrared) to
move data between points. Most Wireless LAN's are based on either Narrowband or
Spread Spectrum radio technologies.
Narrowband uses a specific radio
frequency to transmit and receive data. It allows for multiple simultaneous
signals to be sent over a single radio frequency.
Spread Spectrum is a form of
transmission where signals take up more bandwidth than the data actually
requires, employing code that is separate from the original information. The
more the data is 'spread out' over the bandwidth, the more likely it is to
arrive in complete form. There are two forms of Spread Spectrum technology;
Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) and Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum
uses a Narrowband carrier that hops between frequencies to expand the bandwidth
used.
Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
transmits data by splitting each byte into several parts and sending them
concurrently on different frequencies.
Standards
The year 1997 saw the completion of the IEEE 802.11 standard for Wireless LANs (WLAN's).
The standard was developed to maximize interoperability between differing brands
of wireless LAN's as well as to introduce a variety of performance improvements
and benefits. On September 16, 1999, the 802.11standard was revised and became
the 802.11 high rate or 802.11b, which operates at data speeds of 11 Mbit/s.
WECA (Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance) was recently formed to provide
compliance and standards for the wireless LAN industry. They have announced the
Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) standard that is an awarded 'seal of approval' for
those WLAN products that have successfully completed prescribed interoperability
testing. The Wi-Fi seal will provide customers the assurance that products
bearing this logo will work together. The WECA group includes a growing number
of the industry's leading wireless LAN manufacturers.
Products
Client Products
One ORiNOCO World PC card for notebooks works together with all ORiNOCO
infrastructure products: Access Points, Residential Gateways, Outdoor Routers,
and Access servers. For desktops, ISA/PCI adapters are available.
Access Points
High-performance wireless networking system for the Enterprise.
Residential and Broadband Gateways
High speed wireless LAN Access Point and Internet Gateway for Home and Small
Business applications.
Outdoor Routers
High-speed data networking system creating point-to-multipoint and
point-to-point connectivity to Enterprise and Service Providers.
New Products
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