Lecture 2: How the Wireless Works

Wireless Networks
Lecture 2: How the Wireless Works

Wireless Network System Components:
A wireless network consists of several components that support communications using radio or light waves propagating through an air medium.

Users:
A user can be anything that directly utilizes the wireless network.
-One of the most common types of user is a person.
-In some cases, the user might not be human. A robot, for example, might receive instructions over a wireless network from a central computer that controls a manufacturing process.
-Because the wireless network exists to serve the user, the user is the component that receives the benefits of a wireless network. As a result, users are an important part of the wireless network.

Computer Devices:
Many types of computer devices, sometimes referred to as clients, operate on a wireless network. Some computer devices might be specifically designed for users, whereas some computer devices are end systems.

NICs:
The Network Interface Card provides the interface between the computer device and the wireless network infrastructure. The NIC fits inside the computer device, but external network adaptors are available that plug in and remain outside the computer device.
Wireless network standards define how a wireless NIC operates. For example, a wireless LAN NIC might implement the IEEE 802.11b standard. In this case, the wireless NIC will only be able to interface with a wireless network infrastructure that complies with the 802.11b standard.