Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Feeling Up in the Air..................................................................................
In This Chapter
Working without wires
Learning the ins and outs of WiFi
Calling for security
Finding, fixing, and upgrading laptop WiFi
A
wireless network is just like a wired one, except for the lack of wires. It’s
that missing physical link that makes wireless computing so very attrac-
tive, because it allows you to move a laptop from room to room in your home
or office and stay connected. And perhaps best of all, it permits traveling
laptop users to link up to the Internet, an e-mail server, and even to a private
office network while on the road — in airport lounges, in hotels, and at desig-
nated public-access wireless Internet hotspotsin coffee shops, business centers,
and other places.It’s in the air: Millions of users, with laptop owners at the forefront, are cut-
ting the wires that bind them to the Internet, to devices like printers, and to
networks that connect one machine to another. Wireless systems follow the
same basic principles as a wired network: Each device has its own ID, and
packets of information are addressed to assure that only the intended recipi-
ent receive the data; unfortunately, although designers of wireless systems
have gotten very good at protecting data, the mere fact that the information
is floating in the ether invites snoops to attempt to intercept communication.
Be careful out there!Look Ma, No Wires .......................................................................................
Like almost everything else in personal computing, the tools and process of
going wireless have become cheaper and easier over time. If your laptop
does not already come equipped with a wireless (WiFi,short for wireless
fidelity, a geeky pun on the almost-forgotten HiFi, high fidelity audio systems
of the 1960s) card or have one built in to the motherboard or case, you can