Disadvantages
Signal Distance / Interference
As a wireless signal travels through the air, once you go past a certain distance the signal fades; walls and other object will also limit the distance and signal strength.
This means that in a large office, (or those with more than one floor) you may face difficulties in receiving the signals in all areas; although better routers and hubs tend to have more reliable (I.e.: Stronger) signals.
Other wireless items such as cordless phones, mobile phones and other devices can also cause interference with the Wi-Fi signal, which then weakens it. It is possible to buy signal boosters, but this will obviously make the cost of the setup a bit higher.
Cost
Although a wireless network is not overly expensive, it is quite a bit more expensive than standard network setup; although the costs are coming down all the time. The savings on future upgrades and additional PC’s may also help recover some of this cost in time.
At the time of writing a wireless router or hub costs up to twice as much as a wired one, and a wireless receiver card or box costs around 2-3 times as much as a wired network card or box (although prices will vary depending on quality).
How to Use Wi-Fi
A Wi-Fi network uses either a ‘hub’ or ‘router’ in the same way as a standard network and each PC uses an internal wireless card or an external wireless receiver (which usually plugs into a standard USB port).
A hub device connects all the computers together, but the internet has to be connected through a specific computer; when that computer is not on, you cannot go online with any other computer.
A router device is likely to be much more useful for small businesses; it connects to the internet for you; without relying on a specific machine being switched on. Each computer is connected to the router through wires or Wi-Fi. A router is a little more expensive, and is slightly more complex to set up, but is the best option for most Wi-Fi setups.
A Wi-Fi setup uses your existing broadband connection; there is no need to change service providers or other details. A router based network will connect to the internet for you automatically when switched on; although you will have set it up (I.e.: Tell it where to connect) when you first install it.
Standards
Wi-Fi is generally available in one of two standards; B and G (802.11b and 802.11g).
‘B’ is the traditional setup and runs at a relatively slow pace; fast enough for internet connections, but slow for transferring files and other network data.
‘G’ is the newer standard, it runs much faster, but costs a reasonable amount more than a ‘B’ setup. The good news is that the majority of ‘G’ routers and hub boxes are also fully compatible with the ‘B’ signals; so upgrading at a later date is less difficult than would be expected.
Find more articles on the benefits of technology for your business in our Internet and Technology portal here.
Page 1. Wireless Network - Benefits
Page 2. Disadvantages and How to Information
