Telecommunications Essentials

Wireless LANs

LANs are important in two areas: in wireless office telecommunication systems (which are essentially cordless telephony as adjuncts to the on-premise PBXs) and in the use of wireless LANs (which employ either spread-spectrum or infrared technology).

The idea behind wireless LANs is augmentation, not replacement, of wired LANs and telephone systems. So, there may be issues with asbestos walls, or oak paneling, or ancient marble that's a pity to break into, that require some alternative to wire. Wireless LANs operate over a small range, about 1 to 330 feet (0.3 to 100 meters), so it's a microcellular architecture. Wireless LANs typically support what we'd call medium speeds today, ranging from 1Mbps to 11Mbps, although emerging standards, ...