Summary

This overview of wireless networks should help you understand what you'll need to start a wireless network. You can use an access point, router, and network adapters to equip your home or small office and be up and running in a day. Once your equipment is installed, you can begin sharing files and Internet access. Of course, you should consider using a firewall and encryption to keep your data safe from hackersor anyone else in range of your wireless network. In the next chapter, we'll consider how range varies depending on the environment where you install your wireless LAN.