Types of Wireless Data Networks and The Different Standards of It

A network completely unrestricted of wires surrounding different media devices is a Wireless Data Network System. This system enables to avoid the costly process of installing wires in workplaces or buildings avoiding unnecessary connection between various appliances including Laptops, Mobile phones and other media devices dependent on the internet. This wireless network system works on the basic principle of radio waves. Turning out in becoming the best possible outcome for avoiding long cables spreading through-out the place for internet connection. Generally the wireless telecommunications networks are controlled and transmitted using radio communications and generally this implementation is based on the OSI model network structure. Examples of wireless data networks are modern day smartphones, wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless sensor networks, satellite communication networks, and terrestrial microwave networks etc.

Today’s modern transmitting systems are much faster and reliable than the old radioactive waves for cellular data connections. The only possible way was to attach the low speed voice band modems to the radio telephone sets at both sides in order to transfer the data. This was the starting of data wireless systems and generally gave poor performance of the rapid signal fading. This could actually be improved by error correcting and using data link protocols but still the problem was it could send only a small amount of data. Furthermore Data-oriented wireless networks are divided into the wide area wireless data and local broadband and ad hoc networks. The Wireless home networks has a higher speed of data transferring and ad hoc operation for the fewer number of users. The broadband wireless local networks are mainly referred as The “WLANs” and the ad hoc local networks are usually referred as the WPANs. The idea of WLANs networking system was introduced in near 1980s. However, it took some really hard work and efforts for the first WLAN products which were completed Around 10 years later.

Now a days the main feature of the local broadband and ad hoc networks is the system in the unlicensed bands. The Very first unlicensed bands were the ISM bands which were released in USA in year 1985. After that in 1994 and then in 1997, unlicensed PCS and U-NII bands were also released in USA. The main WLAN standard is the IEEE 802.11 which started in the late 1980s and came to an end in year 1997. The IEEE 802.11 and 802.11b functions in the ISM bands and the IEEE 802.11a in the U-NII bands. High Performance Radio LAN (HIPERLAN) was one of the early introductions by the European standard for WLANs. The HIPERLAN-1 was finalized in 1997, and the HIPERLAN-2 is still currently under development process. However, in 1996, the wireless ATM working group of the ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) Forum was formed to merge ATM technology with wideband local access. WPANs were a great hype even during the official release of Bluetooth technology in 1998.The area and range of WPANs is lesser than the normal WLANs, and they are intended for ad hoc equipment such as personal laptop, cell phone, and headset together. At the peak time of the IEEE 802.11 products they made for than 500 million dollars annually. In the past few years, the world has been investing allot in WLAN and WPAN chip set creation lately.

Different types of Wireless data networks:

Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN)

Targeting devices within a small area is one of the souvenir of WPANs. The main target for introduction of such technology was to reduce the usage of cable and other data transmission sources which you might have bought or carried around. The market for WPAN technology is still emerging rapidly and one of the known carriers for this technology are known as IrDA, Bluetooth and IEEE 802.15. Devices having Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs) are highly promoted by device manufacturers and is being incorporated in a wide range of devices in lesser price points when compared with other technology having products available in as low as $5. WPANs work as wireless networking in between Computers, Mobile phones, Printers, Headphones etc. (etutorials, n.d.)

Wireless Local Area Network

This Network has the same traditional position as of a LAN but it enables in creating a Wireless Local Area Network among devices. This wireless technology is obviously the most popular among people in their everyday life. Providing High speed communication and an easier access to the internet, this technology can cover an area starting from 65 to 300ft. Several Security Precautions must be taken before connecting to WLANs. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) are popular among Private homes, small businesses and even in Enterprise level corporate businesses. (Base, n.d.)

Wireless ad hoc network

A wireless mesh network or Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) is made up of radio nodes organized in mesh topology. This network was once a permanent but now considered a temporary solution in establishing a connection between computers and other network devices. Without any restriction of having WiFi internet, this network can work completely fine especially between computers in a smaller ranged area. This wireless technology is similar to the mesh topology between computers but doesn’t requires cables anymore for connections. This technology is very useful for sharing files between computers, but lack of security is one of the main flaws of this wireless mesh networking technology. (Lifewire, n.d.)

Wireless MAN

Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks allow user to establish connections in larger areas than WLAN, these areas can be in between two buildings or in a complete city. WMANs can be the possible answer for the question of providing wireless broadband access to consumers based in the Metropolitan Area. For example, WiMAX is a WMAN standard that transmits in the 10 to 66 GHz band range. An IEEE 802.16a addendum allows for large data transmissions with minimal interference. WiMAX provides throughput of up to 75 Mbps, with a range of up to 30 miles for fixed line-of-site communication. However, there is generally a tradeoff; 75 Mbps throughput is possible at half a mile, but at 30 miles the throughput is much lower. (ccm, n.d.)

Wireless WAN

Wireless Wide Area Networks enables the transmission of data via Radio Towers. This Network is usually based on the concept of Network transmission between moving and stationary devices with larger areas. These can be cities or countries. The finest examples one could take for WAN are GSM, WiMAX. This technology is nowhere near to W-Local Area Network technology as it doesn’t cover only a hundred feet but this network system is responsible for transmission of data between cities and countries. i.e. Mobile phones use this service to connect to through-out the world.

Cellular network

A Cellular network is a radio network underlying mobile phones, personal communication and radio networking. Unlike other network systems, this technology covers large geographical areas. With their Strong dedicated channel, the cellular network service providers offer their users a great deal of offers for their subscription including high speed internet, calls and SMS. These networks are still one of the widely used networks through-out the world helping most of the people in linking with each other via wireless and stress free networking. (Techopedia, n.d.)

What are the different standards of wireless data network?

Telegram introduced by Guglielmo Marconi back in 1896 was the first step taken by human kind in discovering the powers of wireless technology. Later on University of Hawaii came up with the first cable less wireless network used for communication purpose only on the island of Hawaii. While IEEE began to dig deep down for the standardization of W-LAN technology. After allot of hard work and discussion, IEEE gave the original 802.11 standard to it, And eventually with time, more than 340,000 US citizen started carrying cell phones in their pockets. This technology in the modern era was being referred as WiFi Technology.

The wireless technology was publically introduced back in 1999 all due to the efforts of men and women who thought there was potential in the possibilities of eradicating wires and cables completely from this worlds system, and somehow, by now, their efforts in this campaign have at least made the first world countries get rid of those old-school cable networking. 802.11 A & B ratifications are commonly used in public because of having low speed transfer rate of up to 11-54mbps.

In about 2003, when there were portable computers and mobile phones coming out with modern features like WiFi connectivity, till 2007 when smartphones were introduced, WiFi played a key role in making smart phones an arm extension of a normal person’s life. The “n” standard brought about faster processing speeds of up to 450 Mbps for Wi-Fi and it supported both 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz devices. Smart phones other devices kept getting robust till now, and it’s the WiFi which needs to now catch up. (ucopia, n.d.)

PS The release of 802.11ac has brought us into the realm of modern Gigabit WiFi technology, with a fast and smoother experience of internet connectivity.

What are the capabilities of wireless data network system?

Better Collaboration and Increased Mobility

With time, WiFi technology has become more reliable than ever, imagine you’re in a tall building of up to 50 floors. And you’re on the top floor. In old times, if one would forget a file he’d have to rush to the 1st floor of the building to get the files he needed, but now, everything is now available on the internet. The documents are now uploaded on the company’s network drive and one might easily access them without wasting his time moving up and down looking for the hard format of his files. This modern technology is also helping online teams and startups to collaborate much easier, turning this world into a global village.

Quick Responsiveness

There’s no need on writing letters and applications on paper anymore, everything out here is done on the internet. And with this Wireless WiFi technology, people have started communicating way faster than before. The dire need of waiting for one person’s reply has now ended because of the high speed information transfer. People are working together from different parts of the world collaborating on projects via the high speed information transfer.

Easier Access

It’s difficult in transferring the information to discrete areas but with this wireless technology introduced, the world is now able to reach out those specific areas where there was once no access.

Network Expansion

Cabling and wiring made it difficult for companies to reconfigure their network settings when needed. But wireless transfer of information has finally made it possible to shift and reconfigure their network places without any hesitation.

Enhanced guest access

Without giving away wires to your customers or guests for internet access. Information is now much easily accessible with just a few clicks or taps on one’s device.

Telepresence adoption

Many companies worldwide are converting to telepresence adoption for their employees to work and report faster. With the increase in applications, video conferencing tools there’s already been a huge demand by companies for their employees to report via such tools. Most of the companies provide separate mobile phones for their employees having high speed internet access just to report as soon as possible. With the high speed internet and great connectivity possibilities, there are hundreds of companies working remotely all depending on the internet. i.e. Automattic : The company behind the genius WordPress. (Little, n.d.) But the question arises when a company’s planning to promote wireless connectivity offering their employees internet connection around the market for video conferencing when wanted. Before discussing the fact how can it be made possible there’s a huge risk of cyber-crime activities and any blackhat hacker might reach out the company’s backbone and could destroy the company by his cyber hacking activities. Many vulnerabilities can be found so before even starting off a wireless connection for employees the company should be consulting a security company of making things possible.

When setting up your video conferencing or network system, you want to strive for the highest level of convenience possible. This involves using both the best equipment the company can afford, while also considering the ideal method of connectivity. Wireless systems have gotten a great deal of attention in recent years, and for good reason. With no confusing wiring set-up or cabling, you do not have to hassle over making physical connections. But it becomes all the more important that the system works well, since your entire functionality depends on this.

The best advantage to having a completely wireless system is that you do not have to depend upon connections working properly or faulty cables when you are setting it up. It is also fairly easy to install, as long as you are aware of the technical specifications necessary on the wireless system you are running. Once installed, a wireless system is pretty much a “no brainer,” and allows multiple connections to your teleconferencing system. In addition, it allows mobile users to connect seamlessly, from the video conference room, or from miles away. It virtually brings everyone together in a very short period of time using some of the most sophisticated technology available today.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

The greatest thing about setting up a completely wireless network is the portability and versatility. It allows not only traveling users to connect “on the go,” but also supports all of the higher end media transmissions in multiple formats, such as audio, video, and data. Wireless connections enable you to collaborate across the globe and expands your capabilities from a small conference room to the rest of the globe in record time. The best setup for wireless video conferencing is generally considered to be a wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n network. With this protocol, you can achieve transmission speeds of up to 108 Mbps and it allows multiple media formats to be shared across the network.

WHAT IS THE STANDARD?

The standard for wireless network conferencing is H.323, the ITU standard for wireless networks for business purposes.

OTHER WIRELESS SETUPS

The other way you may use to connect to a wireless teleconferencing system is through a mobile network, such as 3G/4G mobile and public WiFi Hotspots. These are both readily available forms of wireless network access which works seamlessly with Smartphones and Tablets. It is convenient to use this protocol for such video conferencing setups due to the fact that there is sufficient bandwidth to enable multipoint IP-based audio and video conferencing to existing H.323 video systems. These are usually used with the next generation Gateways and MCU’s.

WHY 4G?

If you are going to utilize such a mobile network for your video conferencing setup, it is important that you utilize the 4G network. During the past, the first generation of cellular networks having allot of flaws made it impossible to connect even to the internet. While the recent 3G and 2G technologies almost proved that video conferencing could be possible with just a little more research. With the availability of much faster speed from the fourth generation (4G) that you cannot get with the earlier 3G-324M systems. Using this extraordinary technology might exclude some users using devices which are still under the 3G module, but you will gain more than you lose by choosing the faster network. H.323 is the ITU standard for video call conferencing across 3G/4G mobile data networks, as it is with the other methods.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

While it would be ideal to invest in a completely wireless system, there are some potential issues too as I discussed before i.e. Cyber Crime. You actually need a problem-free wireless connectivity among your employees for a secure transmission of data along with high speed connectivity. Yet with such modern enhancements in the field of wireless systems, depending on an internet connection while having an important discussion over a video might be a risk. Main problem faced would be the quality of the network connection. Even when you use one of the recommended methods for connectivity, you need to troubleshoot your network for potential problems in the initial connection, as well as issues regarding staying connected. If you have an important client on the line, the last thing you want to do is to lose the signal when you are involved in a discussion.