Wireless access means there is no need to connect your laptop network card to a wall jack. With a wireless network there are access points with transmitters that send and receive data and then transfer them to your laptop. The access point itself is wired and connected to the campus network. The wireless part is between the access point and the end user.

Are there drawbacks to wireless access?

Yes! Although this technology offers convenience and flexibility, there are tradeoffs. Less bandwidth is available in a wireless network which is shared by all wireless users in a given area. This is not true with a wired network. This difference will be noticed when large files are opened or when multimedia applications are used. With wireless access you must be within 150 feet of an access point to get reasonable throughput. Also, security of wireless networks is more difficult to achieve.

What do I need to connect to the wireless network?

You will need a wireless Ethernet card that suppports IEEE 802.11g.

Can I do everything with a wireless connection that I could do with a wired connection?

You will be able to do just about everything from your laptop that you would normally do from a wired desktop computer.

Does it matter how many people use the wireless network at one time?

The wireless network can handle hundreds of users logged in at one time, but the more active the users, the slower the network gets. One access point can handle approximately 30 laptops without any noticeable degradation of service. And, you will notice performance changes more easily on the wireless shared network as compared to a wired switched network connection.

I am not even getting 11 Mbps on my laptop when I am connected to the wireless network, is there something wrong?

The theoretical maximum bandwidth is 11 Mbps. Most likely you will see a speed of approximately 5 Mbps.

Why is my wireless connection disrupted more often than a wired network connection?

There are many causes for disruption on a wireless network. These include large metal objects, trees, wireless phones, plus multiple users connected to the same access point.