Resources for Wireless Networking

A wireless LAN brings your network to every corner of your office. Let these WLAN network specialists show you how.
Wireless Bridges

Manufacturers and sellers of wireless bridges for networking. more »

Wireless Switches

Manufacturers and sellers of wireless switches. more »

All-in-One Printer

Directory of all-in-one printer office machines for businesses that need to fax, copy, print, and scan documents with an MFP. more »

All-In-Ones

more »

Online Document Storage

Providers of online document storage services. Research online document storage companies offering electronic document storage. Identify online record storage services that fit you… more »

Get Your Business Listed

Get your business listed on this page

Reach active buyers and immediately increase your visibility

Get Started
Software as a Service (SAAS)

Business directory to Software as a Service (SAAS). more »

Wireless Networking Basics

Wireless networking first appeared on the scene in 1997, and has since become the most popular means of setting up small business networks. All you need to get up and running is an Internet connection from your local ISP, a wireless router and some wireless adapters. Knowing some details about the type of equipment on the market will help you decide what to purchase. The most common wireless standards in use today are Wireless-B (802.11b), Wireless-G (802.11g), and Wireless-N (802.11n). Wireless-B is the older protocol and is being phased out. Wireless-G is the most prevalent. Wireless-N is the newest standard for high speed Wi-Fi. Most new equipment is still backwards compatible with the older protocols.

These are the wireless networking basics you'll need to know to get your office WLAN network up and running:
  1. Use Wireless-G as your wireless networking solution if you have a small office network without any large bandwidth requirements.
  2. Purchase 802.11n wireless networking equipment if your network needs to handle high-bandwidth activities like VoIP or heavy downloading.
  3. Secure your office WLAN network to prevent bandwidth theft and protect your business

Choose Wireless-G for business wireless networking in a small office environment

In spite of operating at a lower speed and without the range of the new Wireless-N devices, Wireless-G wireless networking products are a great choice because they are affordable and dependable. The best-reviewed Wireless-G router is the Linksys Wireless-G broadband router with SpeedBooster (WRT54GS).

Use Wireless-N WLAN equipment for superior speed and range in a large office

Although more expensive, 802.11n wireless networking solutions give you 14x the speed and 6x the range of 802.11g devices. This is great if you're in a large office complex, or if your network needs to be able to handle a large number of users or heavy-bandwidth activities. One of the best Wireless-N routers on the market is the D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme wireless router.

Make sure you've secured your office WLAN network

You've chosen the right equipment for your needs, and managed to get it set up and running. Before you do anything else, you need to make sure that you correctly secure your wireless networking hardware. This is vital for the protection of your business and your bandwidth.
  • If you rely predominantly on laptops to run your business, most of them still come from the manufacturer with 802.11b or 802.11g internal wireless networking hardware. If you wanted to take advantage of the increased speed over a Wireless-N network, you would have to add an external adapter. USB adapters are ungainly on a laptop, but most laptops have a PCI or ExpressCard slot. You can purchase Wireless-N Cardbus or ExpressCard adapters from any of the online retailers listed above.