Understanding The Pros and Cons of a Wireless Network

Five years ago, a lifetime in the computer world, the decision of whether or not to go wireless would have been made for most home network builders. The cost and complexity, relatively low reliability and lower speed would have made a wireless network valuable only for the hobbyist. Someone who wanted to build one could have a lot of fun from the exercise. But for practical use, it was a second choice at best.

Today, the situation has changed. Heavy duty wireless equipment has come down considerably in price, relatively speaking. The cost of standard Ethernet cables, switches, routers is typically still less than their wireless counterparts. But the difference has shrunk quite a lot.

At the same time, the performance and reliability cost/benefit ratio has shifted.

Even five years ago it was easily possible to build a home network that used 100 Mb technology. (100 Mb = 100 megabits/s = 100 x 1 megabits/8 bits/byte = 12.5 megabytes per second.) For more money, then or now, you could build a 1 Gb Ethernet network if you needed the extra bandwidth and speed. That would comfortably support several computers transferring data simultaneously.

Now, wireless products are very competitive in terms of speed and overall performance. Even a slower 802.11b wireless router is rated at 11 Mb, while delivering real-world throughput of about 6-7 Mb. For only a slightly higher price, on average, you can now get an 802.11g router with a rated speed of 54 Mb and newer, faster models are not far off.

Wireless networks offer the maximum in convenience with, in some respects, simplified construction. It's commonplace for there to be multiple computers in your home today.

Most people will not want to have their home look like a computer room. Yet, stringing Ethernet cable around the house inside walls, under carpets or along the floor boards, is a task. Confined to the home office, it may not be a big deal. Wiring the entire house is another matter.

With a wireless network, you simply place the wireless router in some location that is sensible for the devices it is going to support. Then, follow the configuration instructions, and you're in business. The teenager in college upstairs in her bedroom works just fine at the same time as Mom in the home office or Dad in the living room. No need to string a wire to the couch or bed.

But there are some limitations and a few potential downsides. Apart from the higher cost and slower speeds, wireless networks may introduce configuration, security and reliability issues.

Though they've improved vastly, wireless networks can be more difficult to configure. Wireless routers sometimes have cryptic configurations. Wired routers can too, but it tends to be more so in the case of wireless networks. You're sometimes unsure whether the issue is software or simply a signal not being sent/received.

Security has improved too, though there is an inherent hurdle with wireless networks. Since they don't require a physical connection, anyone with a wireless-enabled laptop or cell phone who is nearby can, in theory, access your network. But if you follow the directions carefully when configuring the router, this problem can be overcome.

Reliability is another area that has gotten much better, though it can't always match a cabled network. Cable networks can have hiccups, usually when plugging in new devices. Bad cables or connectors are rare, but they do exist.

But wireless network devices are much more subject to possible interference. Microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth-enabled devices and other common home technology send and receive signals in the same frequency range. Sometimes they clash. Charged particle streams from solar flares and other natural phenomenon can interfere with your signal.

All in all, wireless networks offer flexibility and speed that suits the needs of home network builders well at affordable prices.