frequencies and technologies, meaning that it is difficult or impossible
to mix and match systems that use solely one or the other.
802.11gtakes the best of a and b. It supports a bandwidth of as much
as 54mbps and the broader range of about 300 feet. Because it uses the
same 2.4-GHz radio frequency as 802.11b, it is compatible with hard-
ware designed for that earlier standard. And engineers have made great
improvements in dealing with interference. Finally, the g version is some-
what less susceptible to hacking by snoops and thieves than earlier
standards.Determining whether wireless is worthwhile .................................
Many years ago I worked as executive editor and editor-in-chief for a major
New York publisher, a company that had a near-lock on magazines about PCs.
In fact, those two initials were used in the title of their flagship publication
and several others.Our division was growing at an extraordinary rate, adding cubicles and
moving desks into hallways and storage rooms. The old Manhattan building
we occupied had plaster walls and ceilings and very limited extra space for
more phone lines or (for what were then) thick and heavy Ethernet cables for
networking big and clunky PCs. And a visit from a fire warden gave official
notice that we’d have to deal with a licensed electrician and use metal con-
duit if we proposed to stick new wires in the walls.206 Part IV: Failing to Communicate
Hot spots in the big city
How can you find a hotspot for wireless com-
puting? If you subscribe to a cell phone service
or a cable television/cable Internet company
that offers hotspots, you can check out its web
site and search by city or ZIP code. You can also
search through the web sites of national chains
that are installing hotspots at many of their loca-
tions: these include FedEx Kinko’s, Starbucks,
Borders Books, Panera Bread, and several
hotel chains.
You can also visit national web sites that
allow you to search by airport or ZIP code;
most of these give you the locations for paidcommercial access. One such web site is
http://www.jiwire.com.
Finally, you can try one of the national providers
of hotspots:www.tmobile.com (Operated by T-Mobile
cellular)
www.myconnect.com (Operated by Toshiba
Computers)www.boingo.com (A third party that sells
access under its own name as well as
rebranded services for small and large ISPs)