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Determining if wireless networking is already installed o n your
computers
To determine if wireless networking is already installed on your
computer:
1Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.
If your Control Panel is in Category View, click Performance and
Maintenance.
2Click/Double-click System, click the Hardware tab, then click Device
Manager. The Device Manager window opens.
Important IEEE802.11b and IEEE 802.11g use the same
radio frequency. IEEE802.11a uses a different
radio frequency than IEEE802.11b and
IEEE802.11g. All wireless networking components
must use the same frequency. A combination of
IEEE802.11a and IEEE 802.11b or IEEE 802.11a
and IEEE802.11g components will not work.
Some wireless devices can broadcast and receive
signals on both frequencies.
A mixture of IEEE802.11b and IEEE 802.11g
components will result in your network running at
the speed of the slower IEEE802.11b
components.
Tips & Tricks When buying your access point router, be sure the
model includes everything your network needs,
including:
■802.11g support - for next-generation,
high-speed wireless communications
■Internet security features - such as a firewall to
protect your network from unwanted intruders
■Wireless security features - such as 128-bit WEP
encryption
■4-port switch - to eliminate the need for additional
network hardware
■DHCP server/dynamic IP address assignment -
to automatically configure network and IP
addresses