Discovering Computers, Introductory: Your Interactive Guide to the Digital World 1st Edition by Misty Vermaat

Exercise 20

Purchase the Wi-Fi Equipment As part of the service
when you subscribe to a high-speed Internet access provider, you receive a modem that is capable of connecting to the Internet. In most cases, the modem is not a wireless transmitter. So, in order to establish a wireless connection between the Internet and the home network, you will need a wireless router that establishes the wireless access point.
You can visit any retail electronics store and find a wide variety of wireless routers. A key to purchasing the correct router is to ensure it will work with your modem and Internet access provider. Some Internet access providers support only certain brands of routers and, while it is true that other routers may work, you might be taking a risk if you purchase an unsupported router. With the popularity of wireless home networks, though, some Internet access providers now provide a wireless router as part of the subscription service, often for an additional fee. You should investigate closely the needs for the Wi-Fi router to ensure compatibility with your Internet access provider.
In addition to the router, each computer that is to be part of the Wi-Fi network needs a wireless network adapter. This device allows the computers to communicate with one another. Most external wireless network adapters plug in either a PC Card slot, ExpressCard slot, or a USB connection. Many notebook computers have a built-in wireless network adapter.
Finally, some home networks have a combination of wired and wireless devices. In these networks, the modem connects to the wireless router, and computers on the network connect to the wireless router using either a wireless or wired connection.
Once the Wi-Fi equipment is assembled, you are ready to connect your home network.
Exercise
1. Using your Web research skills, determine the type of IEEE 802.11 standard used by modems available from Internet access providers. What percentage use 802.11b? What percentage use 802.11g? What percentage use 802.11n? If your modem uses 802.11b but your wireless network router is 802.11n, what happens? Based on your research, which router do you recommend? Submit your answers to your instructor.