HP J6039C - JetDirect 200M Print Server User Manual page 18

NETWORKS
DETAIL
Standalone
peripherals
Not all wireless connections are
network connections. Though the
distinctions may often be
somewhat blurry, some wireless
technologies -- such as the
Bluetooth technology that is
becoming popular in mobile
phones and handheld computers --
are more about connecting a
computing device to a peripheral,
rather than connecting computers
and other devices in a network.
For instance, when a handheld
computer connects with a walk-
up wireless printer, or when a
mobile phone connects with a
vending machine, the interactions
between them are typical of a
standalone computer talking to a
peripheral device. In essence, the
wireless connection replaces the
cable in a standard peripheral
connection. Compared to network
connections, such wireless
peripheral connections work at
short ranges and slow speeds.
(In this tutorial, we will
concentrate on the networking
that is typified by 802.3-type
wired networks and 802.11b-type
wireless networks.)