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The first years of the new millenium have seen fast growth in wireless networking. 802.11b, also known as Wi-Fi (short for "wireless fidelity") and "Wireless Ethernet," provides a standard for a wireless physical layer for wireless networking. This increasingly affordable technology has become a popular technology for wireless home networking, but it is quickly becoming the choice for commercial applications as well. An 802.11b network is often called a WLAN ("wireless local-area network). One of the most interesting social phenomena that Wi-Fi has produced is that of the hot spot. Here, the idea is to create and advertise spaces in which 802.11b wireless networks have been created, such that anyone with a laptop or handheld computer with Wi-Fi capability can access the Internet. A growing number of airports, for instance, have gates with Wi-Fi hotspots; thus, travelers can connect to the Internet simply by walking into the invisible hot spot. No cable or cellular connection is necessary. Many campus libraries have designated an entire floor (or the entire library) as a hot spot so that students have Internet access anywhere they sit.
There are several other popular technologies for wireless networking over shorter distances. Bluetooth technology, for instance, is a radio frequency technology that enables users to create wireless connections between handheld computers and cellular phones. |
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If you encounter technical errors, contact rit@calvin.edu. |
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