HP Jetdirect 280m - 802.11b Wireless Print Server User Manual page 17

Network Basics
NETWORKS
Wireless LANs
In a wireless LAN,
information travels
through the air in radio-
frequency signals instead
of through wires. This
makes wireless LANs very
flexible, and setup and
reconfiguration are very
easy. Communication
speeds on wireless LANs,
however, tend to be
slower than on wired
LANs, and it generally
takes more work to make
a wireless LAN as secure
as a wired LAN.
Most wireless LANs
conform to one of the
subsets of the IEEE
802.11 standard; the most
common subset is
currently 802.11b. Data
rates for 802.11b LANs
can be as high as 11 Mbps
(megabits per second).
Typically a wireless device
in an 802.11b LAN can
transmit signals across a
distance of about 30
meters (100 feet) in a
semi-open office (no
walls) and still maintain a
data rate of 11 Mbps. It is
possible to extend the
range to about 100 meters
(300 feet), but at such a
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