Campus Network Upgrade Project

The wireless card in a laptop is the equipment that receives the signal from what is called a wireless access point. A wireless access point is the type of equipment used in campus buildings to transmit the wireless signal from one place to another. Wireless cards and wireless access points transmit and receive data at certain speeds and frequencies, and these are different kinds of Wi-Fi or wireless data technology.

Wireless access cards

There are three common types of wireless data technology for access cards:

802.11a (“a”) - speeds up to 25 Mb/s in the 5.4 GHz radio spectrum
802.11b (“b”) - speeds up to 5 Mb/s in the 2.4 GHz radio spectrum
802.11g (“g”) - speeds up to 25 Mb/s in the 2.4 GHz radio spectrum

The "b" standard is currently the industry standard for wireless networking. The “g” standard is backwards compatible with the “b” standard. If you have a “g” card in your laptop, it can communicate with a “b” access point (at “b” speeds). Conversely, if you have “b” card in your computer, it can communicate with a “g” access point - again at “b” speeds. Most of the Intel-based or Apple laptop computers with built-in wireless capabilities have “b” or “g” equipment.

Like 802.11g, 802.11a (“a”) equipment is also capable of an effective speed of up to 25 Mb/s but “a” wireless equipment operates in the 5.4 GHz spectrum. Consequently, it does not interfere with or interoperate with “b/g” equipment. The effective range of the “a” technology is somewhat less than “b/g” technology. For a more complete technical description of the various wireless standards, see Wireless Networking Speeds.

Wireless access points

The access points being installed on campus are 802.11 “a/b/g” compatible. Those are the three standards that are collectively referred to as Wi-Fi. You can use a laptop or other device that uses 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g to access UIUCnet Wireless.

For answers to other questions about wireless technology on campus, see the UIUCnet Wireless Access web pages.

Wireless equipment