User's Manual

NoWiresNeeded
Page 12 of 41 11 Mbps Wireless LAN PC Card User manual
2 Wireless LAN basics
Wireless Local Area Network systems (WLANs) offer a great number
of advantages over a traditional, wired system. WLANs are more
flexible, easier to setup and manage and more cost effective than
their wired equivalence.
Using radio frequency (RF) technology, WLANs transmit and receive
data through the air, minimizing the need for wired connections.
Thus, WLANs combine data connectivity with user mobility, and,
through simplified configuration, enable movable LANs.
Through wireless LANs, users can access shared information
without looking for a place to plug in and network administrators can
set up or augment networks without installing or moving wires.
Wireless LANs offer the following productivity, convenience and cost
advantages over traditional wired networks:
• Mobility - WLANs can provide LAN users with access to
real-time information anywhere in their organization. This
mobility supports productivity and service opportunities not
possible with wired networks.
• Installation Speed and Simplicity - Installing a WLAN is fast
and easy and can eliminate the need to pull cable through
walls and ceilings.
• Installation Flexibility - Wireless technology allows the
network to go where wires cannot go.
• Reduced Cost-of-Ownership - After an initial investment in
wireless LAN hardware, overall installation expenses and
life-cycle costs will be significantly lower than is the case
with wired networks. Long-term cost benefits are most
significant in dynamic environments requiring frequent
moves, additions and changes.