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5. Wireless Technology

Wireless technology is the process of sending information through invisible waves in the
air. Information such as data, voice and video are carried through the radio frequency of the
electromagnetic spectrum. Thus, wireless communication is the transfer of information between
two or more points that are not connected by an electrical conductor. The various wireless
technologies available are described as follows:

(a) Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity): Wi-Fi is wireless fidelity where communication takes place
without wires. The users share the data with each other by connecting to the broadband
internet service without using cables. As it is not a secured media of transmitting data, the
user must use privacy methods such as using passwords and make the connection security
enabled so that it does not become susceptible to hackers. For transmission of data through
Wi-Fi, a user must have a broadband connection, a wireless router and a laptop or desktop.
(b) Wi-Max (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access): Wi-Max is a wireless
communication system that provides broadband internet accessibility up to 30 miles.
The data transmission takes place without wires. It provides data rates up to 30 to 40
megabit-per-second and up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations. Wi-Max is based on standard IEEE
802.16 technology that provides users with access to high-speed voice, data and internet
connectivity. Wi-Max uses broadband internet connection and requires a tower known as
base station to communicate with the user. Instead of wires, it uses a microwave link to
establish a connection. Internet connectivity to end-user is provided by a microwave link
between the tower and the end-user.
6. Other Unguided/Wireless Media

In this section, we will discuss two other important and extensively
used wireless media— laser waves and Bluetooth.

(a) Laser Technology: Laser refers to a transmission medium
that requires direct line of sight. It provides point-to-point
transmission between points located at short distances, such
as buildings. Similar to microwave, a laser is unidirectional but
much faster. Lasers require transmitters and photosensitive
receivers for transmission. A disadvantage associated with
laser transmission is that it is badly affected by weather
conditions. Fig. 8.33: Bluetooth Technology

(b) Bluetooth Technology: Bluetooth refers to a telecommunication industry specification
that defines how different devices can be connected virtually and transfer information
Computer Science with Python–XII 8.30 Transmission of information using Blue- tooth requires a low-cost transceiver chip in each
among each other. Bluetooth technology is commonly used in various portable devices
such as laptops and PDAs to establish a wireless connection in the form of Wireless LAN
(WLAN).

of the devices that need to be connected. Data is transferred at the frequency of 2.45 GHz,
which is available globally. The rate of data transfer in this type of transmission is 1 mbps.
Each device has a 48-bit address as per the IEEE 802 standard. The connection between
the devices can be either point-to-point or multipoint. Bluetooth is equipped with various
features such as encryption and verification to provide security.