The 802.11b standard is the most popular wireless LAN, and gear based on it has dropped dramatically in price over the last year. It operates at 2.4GHz and offers a real-world throughput of around 5Mbps at close range. In a typical indoor environment, without a lot of metal, it can generally maintain a solid connection up to about 150 feet. It is also fully compatible with the faster 802.11g standard. The weaknesses of 802.11b are its comparatively low throughput and the potential for interference with other gadgets that share the 2.4GHz band, such as cordless phones, security radios, and microwaves.

Proxim Orinoco World PC Card

802.11b facts • Better range than 802.11a products • More than adequate throughput for broadband sharing at around 5Mbps • Slower than 802.11a and 802.11g • Broad compatibility • Low cost • Subject to interference from other 2.4GHz devices • Only three nonoverlapping channels

The 802.11a standard has a couple of advantages over the more widely used 802.11b. It runs at a less populated frequency (5.15GHz to 5.35GHz) and thus, is less prone to interference, and its practical throughput is about four times greater than that of 802.11b, typically clocking in at around 22Mbps. This gives it a lot more elbowroom than 802.11b for streaming digital audio and video or transferring large files over the network, with bandwidth left over for Internet sharing. Some manufacturers offer proprietary turbo modes that can push throughput even higher. 802.11a's downside is its shorter range. Because 802.11b and 802.11a operate at different frequencies, they can't talk directly to one another, which is why if you have an 802.11a adapter, you cannot connect to most hot spots. Another weakness is the increased power drain of the 5GHz radio, as compared to its 2.4GHz counterparts.

Intel Pro/Wireless 5000 LAN access point

802.11a facts • Great throughput at around 22Mbps or higher • Operates at 5GHz • Low risk of interference from other devices • Eight nonoverlapping channels • Wi-Fi certification • Higher cost than that of 802.11b

The 802.11g standard, long touted as the high-performance successor to 802.11b, was ratified in June 2003, but networking manufacturers flooded the market with 802.11g gear months before the final specification was approved as a standard. Most of the gear that was sold prior to ratification will need a firmware upgrade to bring it up to the final spec. 802.11g has two features that many believe will make it the new dominant Wi-Fi standard: great throughput at around 22Mbps and backward compatibility with 802.11b. That's right; 802.11g operates at the same frequency as 802.11b (2.4GHz) and is backward compatible with the granddaddy of Wi-Fi specs. This makes 802.11g the obvious choice not only for anyone building a new network, but also for those interested in adding onto or gradually upgrading a preexisting 802.11b network. The only downside to 802.11g is the fact that it uses a crowded slice of the spectrum, with room for only three nonoverlapping channels. This will make 802.11a a better choice for some environments, especially those populated with devices that share the 2.4GHz spectrum, such as cordless phones, baby monitors, microwave ovens, and Bluetooth radios.

Netgear WGR614

802.11g facts • Better range than that of 802.11a products • Much faster than 802.11b products • Pricey • Subject to interference from other 2.4GHz devices • Only three nonoverlapping channels

Wouldn't it be nice if you could get all of the 802.11 standards into a single device? The latest wave of dual-band networking equipment gives you just that. 802.11a/b/g gear operates at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz and gives you the advantages of all three standards. You get the speed and the resistance to interference of 802.11a, the broad compatibility and the increased range of 802.11b, and the increased throughput of 802.11g--but you pay for it. Dual-band gear can cost more than twice as much as its single-band counterparts, but for some, the added flexibility will be worth the heftier price tag.

Linksys WRT55AG

Dual-band facts • Compatibility with all 802.11 standards • Combines the fast throughput of both 802.11g and 802.11a • Pricey • A combined total of 11 nonoverlapping channels

Bluetooth offers more flexibility than Wi-Fi but on a smaller scale. Its throughput is a poky 500Kbps, and its range is just a couple dozen feet, but devices with a Bluetooth radio and an antenna can speak to each other with little or no preparation. With better range and no strict line-of-sight requirement, Bluetooth is poised to replace infrared as the instant-transfer mode of choice. Meeting attendees can immediately transfer files across a conference table using their Bluetooth-equipped notebooks, or they can send a file to a Bluetooth-equipped printer without downloading drivers. Bluetooth may soon be standard equipment on many cell phones and handheld computers. There's even talk of putting Bluetooth into home appliances. But for all the theoretical benefits of Bluetooth, the reality is that it's currently a mess of incompatible hardware and software. Because Bluetooth operates at 2.4GHz, it is subject to the same interference problems as 802.11b and 802.11g.

3Com Wireless Bluetooth PC Card

Bluetooth facts • Not compatible with 802.11 standards • Slow throughput at around 500Kbps • Expensive • Short range of about 30 feet • Few Bluetooth devices or services • Interferes with other 2.4GHz devices • Low power requirements

Power-line gear may be the best-kept secret in home networking. Though overshadowed by Wi-Fi, power-line networking (also known by the brand name of HomePlug) is a good solution either as an alternative to wireless or as a way to extend a wireless network to the far reaches of a home. Devices based on the HomePlug standard use your home's electrical wiring to connect a digital network. At throughput speeds of around 5Mbps, HomePlug routers and adapters are plenty fast enough to share a broadband connection between a few computers. The power-line solution is also a great way of connecting wireless access points in a large house or building.

Siemens SpeedStream 2524

HomePlug facts • Practical throughput speeds of about 5Mbps • Inexpensive • Great for environments with 2.4GHz or 5GHz cordless phones • Guaranteed interoperability between HomePlug devices

Nothing tops Ethernet for speed and reliability, and Ethernet also has the advantage of being a lot cheaper to deploy than power line or any flavor of wireless. Most computers already have Ethernet adapters built in, but unfortunately, most homes do not. Still, if you are after high bandwidth, it's worth considering pulling Ethernet cable through your home. Even if you decide not to cable your home for Ethernet, you might find that an Ethernet hub or switch is a good complement to your wireless network. In fact, many wireless routers come with a four-port Ethernet switch built in.

Netgear RP614

Ethernet facts • Practical throughput around 90Mbps • Inexpensive • Requires cabling • Range of about 300 feet per segment • Widespread networking standard • Ideal for bandwidth-intensive applications