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There are two different types of wireless technology.
Broadband wireless
The first is broadband wireless. It's used to provide a computer, usually a laptop, with Internet access wherever the laptop happens to be—such as while in someone else's office, in shopping malls, airports, and so on. This sort of wireless is really most useful for connecting one computer to the Internet, and is more expensive to run than cable or ADSL broadband.For the few, poor unfortunates we can't get cable or ADSL broadband at home, broadband wireless is about their only option.
iBurst/Telstra and Unwired are two well-known broadband wireless providers.
802.11a/b/g
The second type of wireless networking is short range and needs a separate base station. This is often known by the technical names of 802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11g. This sort of wireless is most suitable in a small office or in a home.
The base station is usually connected by cable or ADSL broadband to the Internet. This sort of wireless can be very good for multiple laptop computer users in the same office or house because it's designed to support multiple users at the same time, where broadband wireless is usually for one computer only.
Problems
The big problem with both these type of wireless is interference, and the fact that their signals don't go through walls very well.
In fact, in many areas of Sydney, broadband wireless won't work at all (the technical term is: no coverage), or will only work near windows or external walls. This isn't always very convenient. But, compared to not having any Internet or email access it all, it can be a solution.
802.11a/b/g wireless also doesn't penetrate walls very well, and if you have your wireless base station at the front of the house and try to use your laptop at the back of the house, you may find yourself out of luck.
802.11a/b/g wireless also has the problem that the radio frequencies it uses are shared by cordless telephones, microwave ovens, some T.V. relay equipment, and, of course, other people in nearby houses or offices who also have the same sort of wireless equipment.
In fact, it's not uncommon for wireless to be working great one day and then not work at all the next because someone nearby has setup their own wireless network that interferes with yours.
These days we use a device called a spectrum analyser to identify sources of interference and allow us to tune customers' wireless devices to radio frequencies that aren't in use by anything nearby. This is sometimes only a temporary solution because there's nothing stopping people nearby setting up new wireless equipment using those same frequencies.
A better solution can be using something called Ethernet-over-power. This is a technology which allows the Internet to be accessed from anywhere in the house or office that has a power-point. It uses the mains wiring of the building to carry the signal and isn't subject to interference.
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