about wireless networking
WHAT IS WIRELESS?
Wireless networking is the use of radio frequency signals to connect a computer to the campus network without plugging directly into a data outlet. Wireless networks are composed of two primary components: access points and wireless network adapters installed in portable computers. An access point converts the "wired" Ethernet signals to radio waves, and are typically installed in ceilings or mounted high on a wall. A wireless network adapter looks and acts like a regular Ethernet network card (the antenna may protrude slightly from a laptop, and the laptop's battery life is slightly decreased). The wireless networking standards supported at Saint Mary's College, 802.11b and 802.11g, operate in the same 2.4 GHz frequency range as is used by other public communications services (such as wireless telephones), and the FCC therefore limits access points to low power. Users must be in close proximity to an access point to connect, with maximum usable range of about 100 feet in a typical indoor environment to about 1000 feet in a large open space. A building may require several access points to provide complete coverage and allow users to roam seamlessly from one area to another. Also, as the distance between a portable computer and an access point increases, transmission bandwidth decreases. All of the currently installed access points at Saint Mary's support the 802.11b protocol, which can transfer data at rates between 2 to 11 Mb/s., depending on network traffic and proximity to the access point. The access points in Garaventa Hall also support the 802.11g protocol, with rates up to 54 Mb/s. However, unless all users connected to one of these higher speed access points are using 802.11g hardware, the access point will adapt the available bandwidth down to the slower 802.11b standard.
A WORD OF CAUTION
A wireless connection is typically at least 30 times faster than a dial–up modem connection and, thus, easily adequate for applications such as email. However, accessing multimedia–rich resources over a wireless network is usually less than desirable. Of particular concern in wireless networking is the security and privacy of data transmissions. Studies have shown that wireless networks can be significantly more vulnerable than wired networks and require extra technical safeguards to make them less susceptible to hacking, eavesdropping and security threats. The Wireless Zone requires authentication, which prevents use by unauthorized persons, but it is not a secure network. Since wireless networks are EXTREMELY easy to sniff (wiretap), we currently do not allow access to non–encrypted SMC network resources (such as the file server and Blackboard) via the Wireless Zone to prevent disclosure of passwords to would-be "wiretappers." Also, you should use caution when conducting business on–line while connected through the Wireless Zone. If you are doing any financial transactions, or purchasing products on–line, be sure you are using a secure website; a secure website normally has an "s" after "http."
