Wireless Solutions

What is Wireless?

Wireless technology is a new way of networking computers together without the traditional limitations and costs of a wired network. With wireless technology, you have the freedom to access your e-mail, the Internet - even your company network - anywhere you have access to a wireless network. And you can stay connected in public places like airports, hotels and restaurants. Where wireless access is available. Additional access charges apply in some locations.

Increased speed and the introduction of industry standards like IEEE 802.11b and 802.11a and WECA Wi-Fi have helped wireless networks offer cost-effective flexibility for growing businesses. Wi-Fi, or Wireless Fidelity technology, uses the same networking standards as Ethernet, or wired networks, with a comparable look and feel. Dell wireless products meet these standards, which means they integrate with your existing network.

Wireless Myths

Wireless technology can provide a cost-effective, secure network for home offices and businesses. Take a look at the most popular myths, and see how far wireless technology has come.

Myth: Wireless networks are not secure.
Dell TrueMobile wireless products use a series of security protocols that can provide users with the same type of security that exists on wired networks. You can set up your TrueMobile Wireless network even if you don't have an IT department. And because TrueMobile wireless products were designed and built to industry standards, your data stays secure.

The TrueMobile 1184 Wireless Broadband Router offers 64-bit and 128-bit encryption, helping to keep information secure on smaller networks, while the TrueMobile 1170 Enterprise Access Point helps protect the data on larger networks with 128-bit encryption. Larger businesses may also consider using their existing firewall and Virtual Private Network technology to enhance the security of their wireless networks.

Myth: Wireless networks are costly to set up.
Wireless networks are generally less expensive to set up and maintain than traditional wired networks. A wireless network eliminates one of the most expensive parts of setting up and maintaining a network - Move, Add and Change costs. Setting up a wired network typically requires running Cat-5 cable through the ceiling and walls of your office to each workstation or computer. Any changes to your office layout or design (for instance, if you add employees) require changes to cable.

A wireless network can not only save you the cost of running this cable, it can save you the time associated with running cable to each computer or workstation. In addition, if your company ever moves to another building, your TrueMobile Wireless Solution can go with you. A traditional wired network cannot.

Myth: Wireless networks are slower.
While wireless products cannot equal the speed of a wired Ethernet connection, Dell TrueMobile products allow users to transmit information at speeds up to 11 Mbps (Megabits per second), or nearly 200 times faster than 56K* dial-up connection. (Range and speed will vary according to environmental and other factors.)

*Download speeds are limited to 53 Kbps. Upload speeds are less (about 30 Kbps). Speeds can vary by line condition and modem manufacturer. Analog phone line and service required.

How Do Wireless Networks Work?

Wireless technology works much the same way a mobile phone works: airwaves, instead of wires, are used to carry data from one point to another. There are limitations to where you can access the Internet- you must be within range of an access point, the part of a wireless network that transmits data to your computer.

To learn more about the different types of wireless networks, click on the scenarios below.

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
 A WLAN creates a range that can reach up to 300 feet. You can connect to a WLAN from your office or public access facilities.
 
Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN)
 A wireless PAN device commonly has a range of up to 100 feet, freeing you from the limitations of wires and cords.
 
Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)
 A WWAN's range can reach up to 20 miles, offering users a way to stay connected while they're on the move, away from other network infrastructure.

Where to Find Wireless

Wireless technology isn't limited to offices, homes or classrooms. More and more people are experiencing the freedom mobility offers as thousands of public facilities now support wireless access.

Using a LatitudeTM or InspironTM notebook or a Dell AximTM handheld, you can access the Internet or a company network from remote locations like:

Public places that offer access to wireless services are called "hotspots", which contain access points similar to the wireless networks you'd find in an office.

To access a wireless network from a public place, you'll need an account with a wireless Internet service provider (ISP)*, like Wayport. A wireless ISP establishes a WLAN connection through an access point.

* Where wireless access is available. Additional access charges apply in some locations.

Source: Dell, Inc.