Wireless
Hardware and Software Guide
6–5
There are 3 popular implementations of WLAN adapters:
■
802.11b only
■
802.11b/g
■
802.11a/b/g
802.11b, the first popular WLAN standard, supports data rates of
up to 11 Mbps and operates at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. 802.11g,
which came later, also operates at 2.4 GHz but supports data rates
of up to 54 Mbps. An 802.11g WLAN device is backward
compatible with 802.11b devices, so they can operate on the same
network. 802.11a supports data rates of up to 54 Mbps but
operates at a frequency of 5 GHz. 802.11a is not compatible with
802.11b and 802.11g. For information on identifying the type of
device in your notebook, refer to the
“Identifying a WLAN
Device”
section in this chapter.
Connecting Your Wireless Notebook to a
Corporate WLAN
Contact your network administrator or IT department for
information on connecting your notebook to your
corporate WLAN.
Connecting Your Wireless Notebook to a
Public WLAN
Contact your ISP or search the Web for a list of public WLANs
near you. Web sites that list public WLANs include Cisco
Hotspot Locator, Hotspotlist, and Geektools.
When you are within range of a public WLAN, a Wireless
Network Connection interactive message is displayed at the
bottom of the screen. Check with each public WLAN location for
cost and connection requirements.
