Wireless MAXg USB Adapter: User Guide
Wireless MAXg USB
Adapter: User Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 802.11 wireless networking?
802.11 (sometimes called "Wi-Fi") is a set of protocols that are widely used
for small Local Area Networks. Another protocol called Bluetooth allows
devices to communicate wirelessly, but it is only useful for very short
ranges, and generally not used for home networking. Bluetooth can be
useful for networking personal devices in a small area, often called a
Personal Area Network (PAN).
802.11 actually encompasses several different protocols. The trailing letters
(i.e. the
g
in 802.11g) indicate different speeds and frequency bands used.
What kind of wireless antenna range performance issues might affect my
wireless connection?
Radio waves don't really travel the same distance in all directions. Walls,
doors, elevator shafts, people, and other obstacles offer varying degrees of
attenuation, which cause the Radio Frequency (RF) radiation pattern to be
irregular and unpredictable. Attenuation is simply a reduction of signal
strength during transmission. Attenuation is registered in decibels (dB),
which is ten times the logarithm of the signal power at a particular input
divided by the signal power at an output of a specified medium. For
example, an office wall (i.e., medium) that changes the propagation of an
RF signal from a power level of 200 milliwatts (the input) to 100 milliwatts
(the output) represents 3 dB of attenuation. The following provides some
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