Content deleted Content added
Guy Harris (talk | contribs) →Specifications: The maximum data rate will change over time with new versions of 802.11/cellular/etc. standards; not clear that giving today's maximum is useful. Rewrite the third element to match the style of the other two. Most WNICs probably don't support all three of {802.11,Bluetooth,cellular}, so rephrase. |
Guy Harris (talk | contribs) Restore (rather old) reference. |
||
Line 32:
==Range==
Wireless range may be substantially affected by objects in the way of the signal and by the quality of the antenna. Large electrical appliances, such as refrigerators, fuse boxes, metal plumbing, and air conditioning units can impede a wireless network signal. The theoretical maximum range of IEEE 802.11 is only reached under ideal circumstances and true effective range is typically about half of the theoretical range.<ref name="Meyers">Meyers, Mike: Network+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, McGraw-Hill, 2004, p. 230.</ref> Specifically, the maximum throughput speed is only achieved at extremely close range (less than {{convert|25|ft|m}} or so); at the outer reaches of a device's effective range, speed may decrease to around 1 Mbit/s before it drops out altogether. The reason is that wireless devices dynamically negotiate the top speed at which they can communicate without dropping too many data packets.
== {{Anchor|MAC80211|MLME|FULLMAC|SOFTMAC|HARDMAC}}FullMAC and SoftMAC devices ==
| |||