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	Issue TOC Print full article Print this page Download as PDF E-Mail this URL Discuss this article Flame the author     In this article Introduction Top Five Wireless Myths

1. Wi-Fi is faster than Ethernet. While the raw data rate of Wi-Fi (11 Mbps) may be faster than the original Ethernet (10 Mbps), Wi-Fi's throughput efficiency is always less.

2. The longer the transmission range, the better. That may be true for some wireless communications, but for wireless LANs, a greater transmission range often results in more users per cell and lower per-user throughput.

3. Wireless networks can be dangerous to your health. Almost all wireless LANs have radio output levels of less than 100 milliwatts (20 dBm). That's about the same output level as the $29 walkie-talkies your parents gave you for your 10th birthday.

4. 802.11g will make 802.11a obsolete. Lots of people think that 802.11g will kill 802.11a because it offers the same data rate as 802.11a (54 Mbps) plus backward compatibility with 802.11b. But overall system capacity for 11a is three to four times that of 11g, and additional bandwidth is likely to be added in the not-too-distant future.

5. Wireless LANs are inherently insecure. Yes, there are security issues with the original 802.11b specification, but there are plenty of ways, including the use of VPNs and security gateways, to make wireless as secure as wired.