Wireless Networking Notes
3.1.12 Outline the advantages and disadvantages of wireless networks.
Advantages
▪ Convenience - The wireless nature of such networks allows users to access network resources from
nearly any convenient location within their primary networking environment (a home or office). With the
increasing saturation of laptop-style computers, this is particularly relevant.
▪ Mobility - With the emergence of public wireless networks, users can access the internet even outside
their normal work environment. Most chain coffee shops, for example, offer their customers a wireless
connection to the internet at little or no cost.
▪ Productivity - Users connected to a wireless network can maintain a nearly constant affiliation with
their desired network as they move from place to place. For a business, this implies that an employee
can potentially be more productive as his or her work can be accomplished from any convenient
location.
▪ Deployment - Initial setup of an infrastructure-based wireless network requires little more than a single
access point. Wired networks, on the other hand, have the additional cost and complexity of actual
physical cables being run to numerous locations (which can even be impossible for hard-to-reach
locations within a building).
▪ Expandability - Wireless networks can serve a suddenly-increased number of clients with the existing
equipment. In a wired network, additional clients would require additional wiring.
▪ Cost - Wireless networking hardware is at worst a modest increase from wired counterparts. This
potentially increased cost is almost always more than outweighed by the savings in cost and labour
associated to running physical cables.
Disadvantages
▪ Security - To combat security issues, wireless networks may choose to utilize some of the various
encryption technologies available. Some of the more commonly utilized encryption methods, however,
are known to have weaknesses that a dedicated adversary can compromise. Novice home users may
make themselves vulnerable by not utilizing proper security precautions when setting up a wireless
network at home.
▪ Range - The typical range of a common 802.11g network with standard equipment is on the order of
tens of meters. While sufficient for a typical home, it will be insufficient in a larger structure. To obtain
additional range, repeaters or additional access points will have to be purchased. Costs for these items
can add up quickly.
▪ Reliability - Like any radio frequency transmission, wireless networking signals are subject to a wide
variety of interference.
▪ Speed - The speed on most wireless networks (typically 1-54 Mbps) is far slower than even the
slowest common wired networks (100Mbps up to 1 Gbps).
Wireless networks have led to changes in working patterns, social activities and raised health issues.
