In the course of just a few short years, wireless technologies have changed the way we connect computers, phones, PDAs, and other devices both to each other and to the Internet. Today, Wi-Fi is the most popular wireless local-area networking, or WLAN, technology and is now a common feature of many laptops, PDAs, and even cameras. Bluetooth has opened the door to low cost WPAN, or wireless personal-area networks. Designed primarily as a cable replacement technology, WPAN systems help you connect with low power requirements at short ranges. WWANs, or wireless wide-area networks, are designed to deliver high bandwidth across large areas. WWANs are already beginning to offer wireless alternatives to cable Internet access and DSL.



Wireless USB
Wi-Fi has helped put wireless networking on the map, but this WLAN technology has its limitations. The 802.11 spec, on which Wi-Fi is based, is relatively power hungry and poorly suited to pocket-size mobile devices with small batteries. Bluetooth has helped meet the need for short-range low-power personal-area networking, but a new networking technology called Wireless USB is poised to challenge Bluetooth in the years to come. Like Bluetooth, Wireless USB is designed primarily to act as a cable replacement, not as a means of networking several computers together. It will operate at relatively low power, requiring far less juice than Wi-Fi and only a little more than Bluetooth, and as a consequence will have a relatively short range, around 30 feet in a typical household environment. But whereas Bluetooth is limited to a relatively low bandwidth of 1Mbps, Wireless USB delivers a whopping 480Mbps, enough to comfortably transfer a home movie you just shot from your camcorder to your PC and the edited footage from your PC to your TV. 802.11n
Wi-Fi has made home networking simple and affordable, but its popularity has also led to problems, most notably in crowded neighborhoods or apartment buildings filled with 802.11g routers competing for the same slice of radio spectrum. The 2.4GHz spectrum used by most Wi-Fi devices is unregulated, relatively limited, and shared with many other types of appliances, such as Bluetooth headsets, microwave ovens, baby monitors, and wireless security cameras. The result in many cases is limited range and throughput as a result of interference. Wi-Fi's next generation of gear will be based on a new spec know as 802.11n and promises to help combat interference while delivering faster speeds at longer ranges. The secret sauce in the 802.11n spec is a smart antenna technology called MIMO, or multiple input multiple output. MIMO uses multiple antennas to maximize throughput in a range of indoor environments, promising to deliver up to 108Mbps, or about twice the throughput of current gear based on the 802.11g spec. Those fast speeds could allow 802.11n to provide a suitable platform for true wireless multimedia networking. WiMAX and 3G
Until recently, connecting to the Internet has meant having a cable or wire of some sort wind its way into your home or business. For many, DSL and cable Internet services have been the only option for a broadband connection. But DSL and cable services are still not available in many rural areas and they carry the disadvantage of tying you to a fixed spot for your service. That's all about to change because of two competing emerging technologies: WiMAX and 4G. WiMAX is designed to deliver broadband over long distances. Think of it as a wireless version of a DSL or a cable high-speed Internet service. Promising a cheaper alternative than the emerging 3G solutions offered by cellular carriers, WiMAX is a hot topic among municipalities planning to offer their residents free or low-cost Internet connectivity. Rural areas that currently lack broadband availability also stand to benefit from future WiMAX deployments that should prove to be cheaper and faster to set up than cable, DSL, or fiber rollouts. 4G Internet services are the cell phone carriers' answer to delivering broadband access. Cingular has announced that it plans to roll out its HSPDA in 2006. HSPDA promises to offer peak download speeds of 14Mbps, and you'll be able to use the service anywhere within the service area just as you would a cell phone. You'll be able to stream video, carry on a VoIP call, and use remote desktop to access your PC in the office all from the back of a cab on the way to your next meeting.