Setting up an Intranet or LAN:
Do you communicate wirelessly? Chances are you are using a wireless technology known as 802.11b or Wi-Fi. It offers an open-standard way to connect laptops and local area networks (LANs) by transmitting in the unlicensed 2.5 Ghz spectrum at speeds up to 10 Mbs, which is many times faster than the old T1. Now in use in many offices and public places, Wi-Fi displaces costlier (and messier) wired set-ups, and has spread to home-use. Most PCs manufactured after 2004 accomodate Wi-Fi technology. Wi-Fi is currently offered by private enterprisers, both to individuals and in isolated areas in airports and in some municipalities in neighborhood blocks via small distribution boxes. These latter services are now up for grabs, so to speak, with local governments seeking the legal right to provide Wi-Fi services via municipal franchises. Some states like Florida and Pennsylvania have begun lobbying for laws to prohibit broadband offerings by government agencies. Wi-Fi seems to be the wave of the future as the technology improves, but look for further improvements in range and performance. A word of caution: Wi-Fi is not secure. The Bluetooth Protocol enables computers, cellphones and other devices to exchange data wirelessly at physical distances up to 10 meters (some say at greater distances). Called auto-initiation, this technology was created by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia, and Toshiba. Bluetooth communication can also be intercepted by third partie, but the short transmission-reception disances may preclude interception. Still, you should exercise caution. Of the wired variety of networks, Ethernet is currently the fastest system available.