Chapter 1
Taking the Wi-Fi Highway
In This Chapter
Discovering Wi-Fi on the highway
Looking at your choices
Breaking down the parts of wireless access
Meeting your over-the-road wireless needs
E
ven though I think anybody choosing an over-the-road lifestyle has got to
have adventurer's, explorer's, or maybe even pirate's blood running
through their veins, I appreciate the fact that few are those who blaze new
trails through unknown territory. Myself, I'm no Captain Kirk; adventure or
not, I prefer to go where at least a few people have gone before. I always get a
little nervous when kids come running out of their houses to watch the big
truck go by. Well, the Wi-Fi highway's been paved, the kids have become
bored with the passing traffic, and it looks like it's here to stay.
If it's new to you, then you might feel a little anxious about taking the on-
ramp. Don't be; the weather's great, the curves and slopes are gentle, and the
scenery's always interesting. Some parts of the highway -- even though it's
fairly new -- are being repaired and improved upon; other parts, though
passable, are still under construction. Just think of me, someone who's been
down this road before, as a fellow traveler.
Why Wireless?
In the sociology of science, there are two competing theories regarding tech-
nological development. One of them, the genius theory, holds the view that
inventors or scientists make discoveries independent of any outside influ-
ences, just because they're so darn smart. The other theory, known as deter-
ministic theory, holds the view that social and environmental forces, the
needs and desires of the people, require that inventions or discoveries be
made, and that the individual making them is incidental to the process.
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