Wireless

Wireless is quickly replacing conventional wired networks in both the home and office. Not only is it quicker to set up but it also offers flexibility in that you can site your computers where ever you like provided they are within range of the BaseStation - or Access Point as it is known to PC users.

Apple's original Airport supported the 802.11b standard that has a 'speed' of 11Mbps, Airport Express and Extreme conforms to the 802.11g standard and can work up to 54Mbps. Note that the Extreme BaseStations have currently been withdrawn as they do not comply with RoSH. Its worth noting that these are the highest speed attainable under the best conditions, if conditions are not good the speeds will drop back.

The available range depends on a number of factors, under optimum conditions you can expect up to 150ft at 11Mbps and 50ft at 54Mbps but these can vary and you will only know the exact usable range when installed.

You can get external aerials to boost the range provided your BaseStation/Access Point has a suitable external socket.

In addition to a central BaseStation/Access Point each computer will need either an internal card - for example an Apple Extreme card - or an external adapter connected to the ethernet port. The latter tend to be cheaper than the Apple one so if you are using a Desktop computer which doesn't need to move around, or one of the older ones which don't accept the Extreme card, then you may be better off getting one of these third party adapters from the likes of D-Link or Belkin. Note that there are USB adapters but it is unlikely you will find a suitable driver for the Mac.

Apple's Base Stations support bridging and WDS which allow longer ranges to be achieved via satellite Base Stations. In addition AirTunes allow iTunes to be streamed to a suitable audio system. They also have a USB port so that supported printers can be used by all the computers on the network. Some printers also incorporate their own wireless modules which means they can be placed wherever you wish within the signal area.

Other manufactures are now introducing products such as the "Super G' and "N" ranges which are claimed to offer faster speeds and increased range. If used with a Mac you will not benefit from them and will only achieve the normal speed and range. You should be aware that their manufactures are anticipating a new standard which has yet to be ratified and may well change and that the interpretation of the standard varies from manufacturer to manufacture so you may not get compatibilty between different makes. It is also possible that when the standard is ratified these products may not be upgradeable.

The other wireless communication method is BlueTooth - named after a Norse King - which is relatively short range, approx 10ft. This is used for transferring data to mobile phones, printers etc as well as allowing you to use wireless keyboards and mice. Most PowerBooks incorporate this as a standard now but if your computer doesn't have it a low cost USB adapter can provide the necessary function.

We have done a lot of work with Wireless networks for both Macs and PCs and can advise on suitability, security considerations as well as setting them up.