wifibsd

As mentioned in an earlier post there are some helpful books out there should you be like me and want to get your hands on some paper material instead of all electronic information. Here are three that I think are particularly helpful.

1. The Book of Wireless: A Painless Guide to Wi-Fi and Broadband Wireless (John Ross) This bookis in its 2^nd Edition and reviewers comment that the material is covered “in great depth yet remains readable” which I believe is important for anyone just coming on board the Wi-Fi bandwagon. Plus it’s paperback for easy before-bed reading should you want to stay wired in your sleep!
2. Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Wi-Fi Wireless Networking (Harold Davis) makes information about Wi-Fi easy to understand by addressing not only the best way to buy equipment, but the best way to get it set up as well. One reviewer of this book commented that it was almost like (more…)

As one of the many self-employed minions due to the current economy, you can bet that computer access is a pretty valuable component of my daily existence. Unlike many who use this powerhouse for social networking or downloading music, etc., it’s my lifeblood. In short: its use pays my bills. So, you can imagine my horror one recent morning when I awoke planning to meet deadlines for two clients (which I promised their projects before noon that day) to find a 25-mile wide power outage in my community. What’s a girl to do? Easy. Jump in the car and find a Wi-Fi spot (hotspot) where I could link up and get my material out to the clients on time (and with the corresponding invoice). So, I did just that. Fortunately, I had already identified a few spots around town where I knew this could be done (and enjoy a cup of coffee and a bite to eat in the process), but for those of you who may have not yet identified your favorite spot, check out this source and do search. This handy tool lets you do a search not only for your home base, but it’s great if you’re travelling, too. There are a few protocol rules to follow when you’re in a Wi-Fi zone but they’re pretty much common sense don’t overstay your welcome, try to make (more…)

Glad you’ve decided to stick around to learn more. Here are some more terms to help you climb the learning curve. Enjoy them and look for the next article that will help you find a hotspot (which coincidentally is the first term defined!):

• Hotspot: A location where users can access the Internet using Wi-Fi laptops and other Wi-Fi enabled devices. Access may be provided free or for a fee. Hotspots are often found at coffee shops, hotels, airport lounges, train stations, convention centers, gas stations, truck stops and other public meeting areas. Corporations and campuses often offer it to visitors and guests. Hotspot service is sometimes available aboard planes, trains and boats (a less common term is Wi-Fi zone).
• Internet appliance: A computing device used primarily for Internet access. It can be Wi-Fi enabled or connected to a wired network and generally offers customized web browsing, touch-screen navigation, with built-in e-mail services, entertainment and personal information management applications.
• IP: Okay, here’s the one and only acronym I’ve included since it is so relevant, even for non-techies. IP stands for “internet protocol” which is in essence the basic communication protocol of (more…)

Alright, here we go with some terms and terminology that you may find helpful as you get on board the Wi-Fi bandwagon. I’ve tried to include the most relevant to everyday users and avoid the tech-heavy acronyms that would confuse more than help. Here you go:

• 3G-4G, etc.: The term refers to digital, packet-switched technology and is used to describe the third-generation of mobile telephony which brings video and broadband Internet access to mobile phones. The first generation was represented by analog cellular phones and the second generation by digital cellular networks.
• Ad Hoc Mode: A term used to describeone type of Wi-Fidevice-to-device network. (See device-to-device network, peer-to-peer network).
• Aggregation: Techniques that make the transmission of data more efficient in Wi-Fi networks.
• Backbone: The backbone is the primary data transmission path on large networks such as those of enterprises and service providers. A backbone can be wireless or wired.
• Bridge: A wireless device that connects multiple networks together. (See router in the next article).
• Broadband: A comparatively fast Internet connection possessing sufficient bandwidth to (more…)

You know what? I’m a pretty sharp gal and have stayed pretty current on technology trends as they apply to personal use, but this Wi-Fi thing kind of came through the back door and caught me a little off guard. Fortunately, I’m now current enough in my knowledge base to not only know what it is but also how to use it. But I also know there are others out there who may be in a similar position that I was several months ago. If so, stay tuned because I’m going to do my best to bring you up-to-speed in a very user-friendly way through common language that is not steeped in techno-jargon. But, if you’re like me, you know that some time should be spent (more…)