Chapter 3. Wireless Annoyances

Ah, wireless technology. It's the closest thing we have to magic—extremely annoying magic, that is. No other technology frees us so completely from having to be in a fixed place: with wireless devices you can get high-speed Internet access while you roam through your house, through your office, or even across the country. But no other technology is so thoroughly annoying, either. When you turn on your wirelessly connected PC or laptop, you have to worry about filing cabinets, walls, pesky RF-absorbing coworkers, or someone in the kitchen microwaving a burrito disrupting your signal. And as you'll see in this chapter, there are countless other annoyances you'll face as well.

Although there are other wireless networking standards (notably, Bluetooth and HomeRF), this chapter largely focuses on WiFi networks —that is, wireless networks built around the 802.11 x standard.