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Wireless Networks |
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| Network | Range | Bandwidth | Relative Cost | School Use | Standards |
| Infrared (IR) | Line-of-sight Point-to-Point <6' |
9.6 Kbps to 4 Mbps |
Very low | Personal area network (PAN) | IrDA Radio frequency |
| Bluetooth | Omnidirectional ~30' | 1 Mbps | Low | PAN | Bluetooth Radio frequency 2.4 GHz |
| Wi-Fi (WLAN) | <100'
to >300' inside ~1 mile between buildings (shorter range with 802.11a) |
11 to
22 Mbps with 802.11b ~55 Mbps with 802.11a, ~54 Mbps with 802.11g |
Low | Within buildings, between buildings, campus | IEEE
802.11b; 802.11a, 802.11g Radio frequency 2.4 GHz |
| Wide Area Data | Regional by major city | 9.6 to 128 Kbps | Varies by application and billing plan | Major metropolitan areas; campus | Packet-switched |
| Cell Phones | International; spotty in rural areas | 9.6 to 14.4 Kbps
(2 G) 28.8 to 128 Kbps (2.5 G) 300 Kbps to 2 Mbps (3 G) |
Varies by application and billing plan | National coverage | GSM, CDMA, TDMA, GPRS |
| Pagers | National | 9.6 Kbps | Low | Two-way messaging | CDPD |
| Satellite | Global | 400 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps downlink 256 Kbps uplink |
Expensive | When broadband options are unavailable or maximum coverage is needed | Intergrated terrestrial, satellite |
| Special Purpose (WISPs) | Regional by major city | 9.6 to 128 Kbps | Low | Single purpose | Internet/e-mail access |
| Sneakernet | International, depending on the wearer of the sneakers | 2 to 4 mph | Low | Walking from the library to the classroom | Nike, Adidas, Puma, New Balance |