The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.
I recently purchased a new gadget and have fallen in love with it: a tiny wireless device that connects to cell towers many miles away, makes high-speed data connections, then re-broadcasts the signals on Wi-Fi wireless networking to local laptop computers, handheld computers, and smartphones (cell phones with built-in computing capabilities). I now have long-range wireless networking available wherever I go.
This battery-powered device is so tiny that I could carry three or four of them in a shirt pocket. I find it easier to slip it into a pants pocket so that I can carry a “personal Wi-Fi hotspot” with me wherever I go. When I give my next presentation at a genealogy society event, I probably will be carrying my Internet access in my pocket.
Many computer owners are familiar with Wi-Fi wireless networks. In fact, most laptop computers sold these days, even the cheapest ones, usually include built-in Wi-Fi networking capabilities. A Wi-Fi device using 802.11b or 802.11g protocol allows you to connect at high speeds to a wireless base station located within 100 feet or so, using that base station to connect to the Internet. Tens of thousands of Wi-Fi base stations are installed in private homes, restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, airports, and train stations, and similar base stations are now being installed on airliners for use in flight. Even the commuter trains where I live are all equipped with Wi-Fi wireless networking; passengers can use their own laptop or handheld computers to surf the web and check e-mail while riding the train.
As useful as Wi-Fi wireless networking can be, there is always one major drawback: short range. The useful range of indoor Wi-Fi base stations is typically about 100 feet. The Wi-Fi signals are UHF radio signals sent by very low-power transmitters: the signals do not go through walls or through trees very well. Any object that blocks direct line-of-sight view will partially absorb the signal. The thicker the object, the more the absorption. You might be able to obtain long distances with Wi-Fi networking if you are on a mountaintop and are using a high-gain antenna. However, such tricks are not practical for most of us. In normal use, I find 100 feet (roughly 30 meters) to be the maximum range that I can depend on. Occasionally, I can make a connection of 200 to 300 feet (100 meters).
A second method of wireless networking produces a much longer range, although the network speeds are slower and prices are higher.
The remainder of this article is for Plus Edition subscribers only.
If you have a Plus Edition user ID and password, you can read the article right now at no additional charge in this web site's Plus Edition at http://eogn.com/wp/?p=5097. This article will remain online for several weeks.
If you do not remember your Plus Edition user ID or password, you can retrieve them at http://www.eogn.com/wp/ and click on "Forgot password?"
If you decide to subscribe to the Plus Edition right now, you will be able to immediately read this article online.
For more information about subscribing to the Plus Edition of Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter, visit http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/plusedition.html.
Recent Comments