I discussed some of the health concerns related to Wi-Fi technology. Many people have similar concerns about perceived health risks related to mobile handsets. There have been reports, largely based on anecdotal evidence, that link the use of mobile handsets with brain cancer, but research has not established a definitive causal relationship between the two. [...]

Setting up a broadband router for your WLAN is easy. Most consumer hardware comes with configuration software or wizards that get you up and running in minutes. The process differs among manufacturers, but here are some common steps: – Record your IP addresses (IP, subnet mask, and default gateway) and any other settings required by [...]

Determining the value of your data You determine the value of your data in part by the amount of work it would take to reproduce it and by how important you feel it is. Determining the value of your data aids you in deciding how often to back up and whether you should back up [...]

As with any contract, when you sign up for cellular service, there is plenty of fine print. Being aware of some of the more common clauses found in cellular contracts puts you in a better position to negotiate or choose a better deal. Activation Fees: A common “gotcha” is activation fees, charges you incur by [...]

Smart phones combine the functions of a PDA and a cell phone, giving you the best of both worlds. Like PDAs, you’ll have to choose between Palm OS-powered smart phones or smart phones that run Microsoft’s Windows Mobile OS. All of the same considerations apply when choosing between the two, although with smart phones there [...]

All wireless devices require an antenna of some sort to function. Although APs and adapters come with antennas, you may wish to install a third-party antenna to improve signal reception, or extend the broadcast range of a device. This isn’t possible with all Wi-Fi devices, and even those devices that do allow for antenna upgrades [...]

For each client to be able to connect to and communicate on your WLAN, it has to have a wireless NIC or wireless interface adapter. Depending on the device you want to connect, adapters are either internal or external. – USB wireless adapters attach to the USB port on any device and allow it to [...]

An alternative to purchasing a rugged laptop is purchasing a protective case for your computer or PDA. While a case won’t do anything to protect your laptop when it’s out and in use, it can significantly reduce the chance of damage the remainder of the time that you are traveling when your laptop is safely [...]

Your browsing experience will vary among phones. Some have larger screens, and others have better keypads. The speed of the average WAP phone is around 19.2 Kbps, not quick by anyone’s standard, but because WAP is all text, it’s not a problem. Speed isn’t the issue when browsing with a WAP phone, the interface is. [...]

Like a dial-up connection, you can share a broadband connection via Internet connection-sharing software. However, this creates a bottleneck when WLAN clients try to access the Internet through the host computer. It’s more efficient to share a connection through a broadband router connected to an AP or through an AP that had built-in broadband router [...]