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General: Wireless Networks for n00bz, ja man!

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    So, I had my Applied Info Tech exam this morning. I’m pretty sure I passed, but no way did I make it higher than a C pass. This was because I’m absolutely certain we didn’t cover wireless networks. So, just out of interest, what are the advantages vs. disadvantages of wireless networks, and why on earth would you prefer to go wireless just because more family members wanted to use the Internet? I’m missing something here.

    Oh, and a little something for everyone to laugh at. This was a scenario in my exam, in all its capitalised glory:

    You realise you are falling behind in Technology. You decide to purchase a Multimedia Computer System so that you can do a little Social Networking.

    (Anyone else find the misplaced caps even slightly hilarious?)

    Then they wrote ‘Face book’ wrong. Who writes these things?

    • CommentAuthorGolcondio
    • CommentTimeJun 2nd 2009
     
    Some random advantages I can think of:
    1. No cables, of course. This means no tripping over them, no pinching them under furniture, no issues with lousy connectors or lousy cabling.
    2. You don't need to expand hardware-wise to allow more people to connect at the router (no ethernet switches, I mean)
    3. If your neighbor uses WEP enctryption or no encryption, that means he likes you, and you're allowed to borrow his/her connection ;)
    4. It's cool to move around the house with a laptop

    Disadvantages:
    1. It may well fry your brain (at least, it hasn't been proven yet that it's harmless, therefore I'd apply the caution principle...)
    2. Slightly more expensive routers
    3. Walls can and will interfere with signal intensity, the bastards
    4. You need to use WPA or better encryption, unless you really like your neighbors and are happy to share your connection with them...
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    Lol, thankyou very much. Anyone have anything else to add?

    • CommentAuthorLccorp2
    • CommentTimeJun 2nd 2009
     

    Wireless sucks when you need to have a fast, reliable connection, such as when playing FPSes or MMOs. A switch isn’t too expensive anyways, and in this part of the world most modems already come in with multiple jacks for ethernet cables.

    Wireless would be fine for mere net-surfing, but I wouldn’t trust it to do anything else more than I could throw a boulder.

    • CommentAuthorGolcondio
    • CommentTimeJun 2nd 2009
     
    Too true... dunno about you, but around here fast, reliable connections (ping <100ms even on a wired connection) are a mirage (or they cost in the range of 60-100 euros/month), so I didn't even notice the difference while playing Guild Wars... for sure I cannot play FPSes without getting my donkey handed to me.
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    We have both in our house. Mainly I use an ethernet connection, but the wireless helps if I want to take my laptop to another room, for example to be with my friends. I use the wireless for FPSes a lot, but I don't seem to have much lag, or if there is lag it's not any different with the ethernet cable.
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    Thanks guys!

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