Wireless Home Networking Simplified

Chapter 14. Wireless to Go

One of the biggest advantages of wireless technologies is the ability to easily take it on the road with you. Public Internet access was rare before the advent of Wi-Fi mostly because of cost and convenience. Allowing patrons of a coffee shop, airport, or bookstore to access the Internet meant expensive cabling retrofits to put Ethernet ports in, and—even if a lease holder were willing to put up the expense—there are only so many ports you can put where patrons can get to them.

Wireless, of course, removes the need for network cabling and provides vendors the same flexibility as home users of wireless. With virtually no need to cable outside access and power, a shop owner can provide Internet access to every patron ...