7 tips for going wireless
The scene is a recognizable one at health-care amenities, expert offices, college classrooms and even your district cafe. People are taking laptop PCs wherever they want to check e-mail or surf the Internet.
They're reaching network and Internet access through wireless networks, where devices are linked through radio signals rather than wires. Couldn't you use one for your small or home-based business?
More and more people are asking this question, as wireless LANs - or local-area networks - continue to get better and easier to use. Despite the tech slump of recent years, sales of wireless networks continued strong. Annual revenue from wireless LAN equipment is predicted to jump to $4.5 billion in 2006 from $969 million in 2000, according to Allied Business Intelligence, an Oyster Bay , N.Y., research firm.
Sales have risen as prices have dropped. A wireless network typically consists of at least one centrally located access point and separate network access cards for each computing device. An access point for a home or small office can cost as little as $300, down from more than $1,000 in recent years, and access cards range from $80 to $300 each, also down from more than a $1,000. While wired systems (with cable networks) normally remain cost effective, you can install many wireless networks yourself and save on labour costs.
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