Wireless LAN Internet by AP Installation at Home

Which equipment is required for a wireless LAN Internet?

Wireless LAN Internet is to access a high speed Internet with terminal such as a desktop, notebook and PDA installing the access point which can send and receive data through wireless cable by using a frequency instead of wire (LAN Cable).

AP must be required to access the wireless LAN. The wire network enterprises can use the public LAN installed in public areas, but can access the wireless LAN simply by installing only AP at home or in office.

Which equipment is required to access the wireless LAN with each terminal in a state of AP?

▽Wireless LAN through Desktop 〓The wireless LAN card is required to send and receive data by notebook or PDA. The desktop needs a receiver as a role of the LAN card. AP receiver which has been used recently, can be installed easily in the desktop because of a fist-sized receiver with Universal Serial Bus (USB).

When the receiver driver is installed in the desktop, AP and channel must be set. The channel is ranged from No. 1 to No. 15, but AP channel is fixed from No. 1 to No. 7. Accordingly, AP channel must be confirmed before installation. However, because there is a problem on low performance by radio wave communication if a microwave is within 5m of AP and receiver, the channel of AP and receiver must be fixed with over channel No. 11.

The receiver has been manufactured at approx. 100,000 won by companies including 3COM, Intel and Linksys. However, the mark of Wi-Fi which is the information communication standard certification, must be confirmed for compatibility with other equipments.

Such as KT and Hanaro Telecom, the high-speed internet enterprises have lent the receiver and AP by paying additional expenses of 10000~15000 won to access the wireless LAN at home.

▽Wireless LAN through notebook 〓Notebook can use the public LAN of a congested district such as a shopping center as well as a private AP at home because it has an excellent mobility. To use the public LAN, users must subscribe as a member to the service company and download the access program. Wireless card for notebook has three modes such as PC card(PCMCIA), USB and Compact Flash (CF). Notebook has mostly used the PC card-typed wireless LAN card of the same shape as a general LAN card.

It can be easily purchased for 110,000~180,000 won in Yongsan electronic stores and Techno Mart. There are 100 products of different types, but no difference between products. For compatibility between products, Wi-Fi Standard support must be confirmed.

▽Wireless Internet with PDA 〓Its procedure is same as the notebook, but PDA mostly uses CF-typed LAN card or some uses USB-typed LAN card (Samsung Nexio). Accordingly, people must purchase it carefully.

Because CF card has three modes of CF1, CF2 & CF3, people must confirm which product is compatible with PDA. There are popular products of Samsung Electro-Mechanics(SEM), MMC, IPOne and Acrowave.

Chang-Won Kim changkim@donga.com