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2. Cordless Networking with the Cordless Gateway
What Is Cordless Networking?
A “network” is two or more computers physically connected to each other.
For example, if you connect two computers together with a cable, you have
created a network. The two computers will communicate with each other
over the cable. Networking technology enables two or more PCs, located
throughout your home or small office, to communicate. With a network in
your home or small office, you can:
G
Share Internet access so family members may surf the Internet at
the same time using a single connection;
G
Print to a printer that is connected to another computer on the
network;
G
Access and transfer files on the hard drive of any computer that is
a member of the network; and
G
Play multiplayer games.
The term, “cordless,” refers to communication that occurs over radio waves
rather than over a cable. A cordless telephone is identical to a telephone
except the handset communicates to the base station over radio waves rather
than over a telephone cord.
Like a cordless telephone, a cordless network uses radio signals instead of a
cable to exchange information. Thus a cordless network alleviates the need
for expensive and intrusive wiring within the home to connect computers. It
also allows mobile users to remain connected to the network even when a
laptop is carried around the home or taken into the backyard.
Symphony-HRF and Symphony adapters create a cordless network between
each computer in a household using standard networking software included
with Windows. This network links the computers together so that they can
share files, printers, and other peripheral devices, such as CD-ROM drives,
floppy disk drives, or Iomega Zip drives. With the addition of a
Symphony-HRF Cordless Gateway to the cordless network, the
Symphony-HRF and Symphony adapters can also communicate with a small
existing Ethernet network or share high-speed Internet access.