Why the Wireless Whimsy?
Last updated Jan 1, 2004. Have you noticed that pay phones seem to have all but disappeared? One reason may be that most people now carry their own phones which are wireless. Untethered access to communication is the rule of the land nowadays, and some users feel that open and unrestricted access to networking is a logical extension of this growth of communications technology. Nearly all forms of communications costs have been dropping in the last few years. In fact, it is cheaper for me to use a cell phone than a landline in the house; for a flat fee I get more phone service and hundreds of long-distance minutes! If you’re new to wireless networking, don’t worry. You still have company…but not for long. Early adopters suffered through expensive hardware with less-than-stellar performance (fewer than 2Mbps per second), but the hardware is now (relatively) inexpensive and getting cheaper still. Many wireless NICs (theoretically supporting 11Mbps) can now be purchased for less than $50
