definitions of technical terms
Index:
bit | byte | Cat 5 | Code | Conduit | Crossover Cable
Drives | Ethernet | Hub, Switch | IP Domain
Linux, Open Source | Operating System | Peripheral
Server (basic) | Server (advanced) | Wi-Fi
- bit (kilobit, megabit, gigabit)
- The word bit is stands for binary digit.
A bit is the most basic unit of information. It can represent just two
values. These values can be thought of as yes or no, true or false,
on or off, and in mathematical terms, one or zero. Computers, as smart
as they seem, can only "think" in these simple terms. What makes them
useful is that they can remember and manipulate billions of these "yes/no
questions" every second. To make this concept easier to grasp, think
of a collection of bits as tiny lights (early computers primarily
used blinking lights to display information). Each of the lights can
either be off or "fully on" (no dimmer switches here). To make a shade
or pattern, the computer can not rely on just one light to do all
the work. Instead, the computer would have to combine many of these
lights in varying on/off combinations to represent different shades
or patterns. A group of a thousand bits is a kilobit (Kb),
a million bits is a megabit (Mb),
and a billion bits is a gigabit (Gb).
Note the lowercase "b" for bit (an
uppercase "B" stands for byte,
which is bigger).
Why is this information useful? The speeds of many devices are advertised in how many kilobits, megabits or gigabits they can transmit per second. For example, if you went to the store to buy a card to connect your laptop computer wirelessly to your DSL Internet connection, you would see that the 54 Mbs card is about 5 times faster than the 11 Mbs card (Mbs stands for megabits per second). However, your DSL provider tells you that the connection they sell you is capable of less than 1 Mbs. So you would probably save your money and opt for the less expensive 11 Mbs card, since it's already more than ten times faster than you need to handle all the speed your Internet connection can provide you.
- byte (kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte)
- Bits can't really store much useful information, since they can only
have two values, as explained above. A computer deals instead with chunks
of bits, called bytes (1 byte = 8 bits).
When we talk about storage devices such as hard drives,
we refer to their size in megabytes (MB) and gigabytes (GB). To make
things confusing for you, the prefixes kilo, mega and giga no longer
represent a thousand, million and billion when we are talking about
bytes. Instead, kilo-, mega- and gigabytes are based on binary values
(powers of two), that are about a thousand, million and billion,
respectively. If you really want to know exactly how it breaks down,
refer to the following table:
In summary, a kilobyte is 1024 bytes, a megabyte is 1024 kilobytes and a gigabyte is 1024 megabytes. Note the uppercase "B" for byte, and remember to multiply by eight when you convert from bytes to bits, or divide by eight when you convert from bits to bytes..All About Bytes and Bits one byte (B) = 8 bits (b) one kilobyte (KB) = 1,024 bytes
(210 bytes)one kilobit (Kb) = 1,000 bits
(103 bits)one megabyte (MB) = 1,048,576 bytes
(220 bytes)one megabit (Mb) = 1,000,000 bits
(106 bits)one gigabyte (GB) = 1,073,741,824 bytes
(230 bytes)one gigabit (Gb) = 1,000,000,000 bits
(109 bits)
This bit of trivia is from the Free On-Line Dictionary Of Computing: "In the early days IBM taught that a series of bits transferred together (like so many yoked oxen) formed a Binary Yoked Transfer Element (BYTE)."
Why is this information useful? Disks are sold by how much stuff they can hold. A CD can hold up to 700 MB of stuff (music, video, documents, pictures, etc.). A standard DVD can hold up to 4.7 GB of stuff. Suppose you find out that your hard drive in your computer, containing your life's work, has a 20 GB capacity. You're wondering what you should purchase as a backup drive to protect your life's work in case of disaster. Should you buy a CD burner, or opt for the more expensive DVD burner? To make your decision, you consider that it would take four or five 4.7 GB DVDs to hold all of the stuff on your 20 GB hard drive, and the blank DVDs cost less than five dollars apiece. Blank CDs cost about fifty cents apiece, or less, but how many would you need? Doing the math, you take 20 GB * 1024 MB per GB, which equals 20480 MB. You would need nearly thirty 700 MB CDs to hold all the stuff on you 20480 MB hard drive. Yikes! The cost of the blank DVDs vs. blank CDs is negligible compared to the time it would take you to sit down and burn thirty CDs, so you decide to spend more on the DVD burner and save yourself the hassle.
- Cat 5 (Cat 5e)
- "Cat five" is a very common standard for cables (ANSI, Category
5). This type of cable is used extensively throughout offices and homes
for telephone systems and networking. The cable is able to support both
standard Ethernet (10 Mbs) and Fast Ethernet (100 Mbs). Enhanced
Cat 5, known as Cat 5e, also supports Gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbs,
which equals 1000 Mbs).
Why is this information useful? You would use Cat 5 cables in your home or office for common things like connecting computers together, connecting to your DSL or cable modem, or sharing one printer between two computers. When you buy cables at a store like Office Depot or Comp USA, you may want to know if the cables will support your network speed. Since there is little difference in pricing, it doesn't hurt to buy Cat 5e cable (1000 Mbs), even if you only have a standard Ethernet (10 Mbs) network. That way, you can easily upgrade your network devices to support the higher speeds in the future, without needing to replace all the cables that connect them. This is especially important if you're taking the time to run your cables through walls, where it would be difficult to replace them.
- Code (source code, machine code)
- Computer software is made up of information called code.
There are two main types of code - one for people to read (source
code) and the other for computers (machine code).
Source code is written by programmers - people who
have learned to use a programming language such as
Java, C++ or BASIC. Well-written and documented source code can be read
by others who are familiar with the programming language. Others could
potentially make changes to the code, or incorporate parts of it into
their own software, depending on the licensing terms of the software.
When you install software, you agree to licensing terms
that determine how you are allowed to use it. Most commercial software
companies keep tight wraps on their source code, and you are only licensed
to use their machine code for very specific purposes. A software compiler
performs the translation from the source code that is written in a programming
language readable by people, to machine code, readable
by machines. When the code is compiled from source code to machine code,
you must specify what type of platform
to compile the machine code for. The source code is usually considered
a trade secret, unless the software is Open
Source. If you want to figure out how a piece of commercial
software works, to modify it or fix a bug, and you do not have the source
code, then you will have to reverse engineer it by
tinkering with the machine code; this is very difficult, if not impossible
to do, and is often made illegal by the licensing terms.
Why is this information useful? If you are trying to decide if you should invest in a particular type of software, the type of code that it is based on will determine what you will be able to do with it, to add new features, to fix bugs, or to modify and re-distibute it (see Open Source).
- Conduit
- Conduit is used to enclose wires to protect them and keep them out
of sight. It is made up of long tubular or rectangular sections of metal
or plastic that are connected together to provide a channel through
which the wiring can pass. It comes in various sizes to meet your needs.
Conduit that is made specifically for network applications comes in
long (up to twelve foot), rectangular sections that can be cut to length,
then snapped open to run cables inside.
Why is this information useful? Conduit is an excellent way to eliminate cable mess and provide a clean, professional-looking workplace.
- Crossover Cable
- A crossover cable is used to connect two devices directly together
without the use of any intermediate equipment. The term crossover is
derived from the fact that the separate wires in the cable that transmit
and receive signals do not go straight through to the connector on the
other end, as with normal cables, but instead cross over each other.
As a result, whatever signals one device transmits go directly to the
wires used by the other device for receiving signals, and vice-versa.
The most common type of crossover cable is an Ethernet crossover cable,
which uses a standard RJ-45 connector (similar to a telephone connector,
but with eight conductors instead of four).
Why is this information useful? If you need to connect just two computers together via Ethernet, all that you need is a crossover cable. If you need to connect more than two computers or devices together via ethernet, then you'll need a hub or a switch.
- Drives (floppy, CD, DVD, hard drive)
- Drives are devices that are used to store information, such as documents,
pictures, and music. The most common types of drives are floppy
drives which read and write 3-1/2" square plastic floppy
disks (used mostly for small documents), CD-ROM drives
which read compact discs (used mostly for music and software), DVD-ROM
drives which play digital versatile discs (used mostly for
movies), and hard drives which are built into your
computer and are used to hold your operating system, programs and any
other type of information that you could copy to or from removable discs
like CDs. Floppy drives have become obsolete because they can only hold
1.44 MB of information on them (that's just 0.0014
GB) and because they tend to be easily erased or
damaged by metal objects, magnets, dust and dirt. CD-ROM drives, which
can only read CDs (ROM stands for Read Only Memory), are quickly being
replaced with CD-RW drives, which are able to write
to blank CDs as well as read them. CD-RW drives are also know as CD
burners because they write information onto the discs with
a laser, instead of a magnet, as with floppy drives. A CD can hold up
to 700 MB of information, which is the equivalent of nearly five hundred
floppy discs (or 0.7 GB). DVD-ROM drives are becoming very common in
computers, as are DVD burners. There isn't one accepted
standard for DVD burners yet, so they go by the names of DVD-R,
DVD+RW and DVD-RW. Most of the discs
produced by DVD burners can be read in home DVD players that you connect
to your television, though there are still some compatibility issues
(2003). A DVD can hold anywhere from 4 GB to 20 GB of information on
it, depending on the type of disc and drive used. Hard drives
are the grand champions when it comes to how much stuff they can hold.
At the time this definition was last updated (March of 2003), they came
in sizes of up to 200 GB in a single drive. Multiple hard drives can
be used together to reach capacities that are orders of magnitude greater.
Back in 1986, a 20 MB hard drive (that's just 0.02 GB) seemed like more
than you could ever be able to fill up, and it cost about $3000. Today,
hard drives can be bought for less than $200 that hold 200 GB (that's
roughly 200,000 MB). If you compare the costs in dollars per gigabyte,
they've gone from $150,000/GB done to less than $1/GB. This trend will
no doubt continue as new drives are able to hold more and more information.
Why is this information useful? Now that many people use computers for not only text documents, but for music and video, it's nice to know our options for storing and copying all of that information. A CD burner can be used to make a mix CD hold up to 80 minutes of music that will play on almost any CD player. A DVD burner can be used to make your own home movies that you can share with your family. A hard drive is where you store all this music and video while you're mixing and editing it.
- Ethernet
- Ethernet is the most common type of network. It was developed in the
seventies as an open standard and has been embraced by virtually every
computer equipment manufacturer. Ethernet allows you to connect many
different types of computers and devices together. Even devices such
as refrigerators are being made today that have Ethernet connectivity
for ordering groceries over the Internet, browsing for recipes, or sending
you an email when the milk goes bad. Ethernet types are described in
the form: data rate (in Mbs) + "base" + cable type. Examples
are 10base2 and 10baseT, which both have a 10 Mbs data rate, but differ
in the type of cabling. Ethernet of base2 type uses thin coaxial cable
(RG-58 or similar) in a daisy-chain configuration. The 2 in base2 indicates
that the maximum cable length is 200 meters. Ethernet of baseT type
uses twisted pairs of wires inside a multi-conductor cable
(generally Cat5) to carry the signal. Devices are connected together
through hubs and switches in a star configuration. Ethernet devices
with 10baseT, 100baseT and 1000baseT interfaces all use RJ-45 connectors
(which look similar to telephone plugs, but have eight conductors instead
of four) and can be networked directly together to communicate at the
speed of the slowest device (see crossover cable). Different cable types
such as 10base2, 1000baseT and 1000baseFX (fiber-optic) can all be networked
together through the use of hubs and switches.
Why is this information useful? As you see, Ethernet is an extremely broad and versatile type of network. It is widely available and compatible with just about anything you can imagine. While it may seem like something better left up to professionals, it is actually quite easy to work with yourself. Many people are wiring their homes with Ethernet so that the kids and parents can share an Internet connection, files and printers. A good place to start if you're interested in doing this yourself is to buy a 100baseT hub, a box of Cat5e cable, some RJ-45 connectors and a crimping tool from Home Depot or an electronics supply store.
- Hub, Switch
- A hub is a device, usually shaped like a rectangular box, that is
used to connect Ethernet cables together. Different types of hubs are
made to connect similar and dissimilar types of Ethernet cables together.
You might buy a hub with four ports to connect up to four devices at
home, or a twenty-four port hub to connect a small office. Multiple
hubs can be chained together to expand your network. A network switch
looks identical to a hub, but it is a lot smarter in the way that it
operates. Consider a twenty-four port hub with computers connected to
every port. When a computer plugged into port two wants to communicate
with a computer plugged into port seventeen (to exchange files, for
example), their communication is broadcast through every port on the
hub at the same time. Because of the fact that all ports in a hub communicate
in unison, connecting just one standard Ethernet 10baseT device to a
port on a Fast Ethernet 100baseT hub will cause all traffic passing
through the hub to slow to 10 Mbs speed. What makes a network switch
so smart is the fact that it remembers which computer is connected to
each port, and routes traffic between ports directly to their destination,
eliminating unnecessary network traffic on the other ports. In addition,
traffic through on a 100baseT switch only slows down on the port that
a slow 10baseT devices are connected to, so each device can operate
at its maximum speed.
Why is this information useful? Now you know that when we talk about computers, hubs and switches are something used to connect networks together. Chains of hubs, switches, or combinations of hubs and switches can all be used to connect networks together. The major difference between using hubs vs. switches is that whatever goes in through one port goes out through all the ports on a hub, while a switch directs traffic so that it only goes to its intended destination, which means that you'll do less waiting for files to transfer across a network if you use switches. Up until around mid-2002, prices for switches were so high that it was difficult to justify their expense. A five port switch cost more than a twenty-four port hub. These days, however, prices of switches have dropped so that prices for five port 100baseT network switches are about the same as for five port hubs (less than twenty dollars) and larger, 24 port 100baseT switches which used to cost thousands of dollars can now be found for a couple hundred. If you have to choose between a hub and a switch for your network, buy the switch if you can afford it. They look the same, but switches are superior.
- IP Domain
- IP stands for Internet Protocol and is the structural
"language" of the Internet. In addition to providing the structure
for the enormous, public network we know as the Internet, IP has also
become the predominant protocol used for private networks. Every computer
on an IP network has a unique IP address, sort of like a license plate
for a car. When we use IP over the Internet, we refer to computers (web
servers) by their domain names, instead of their numerical IP addresses.
It is far easier to remember a domain name, such as
www.ibm.com than it is to remember the corresponding IP address
(129.42.18.99). Setting up domain names on your own network makes it
really easy to connect to other computers, printers and any other device
connected to the network that uses the Internet Protocol. In order to
set up a local IP Domain for your network, you must
install and configure a Domain Name Server.
Why is this information useful? This briefly explains that web site names (which are easy to remember) correspond to numeric addresses (which are hard to remember). You now know that you can do the same thing on your network by installing a DNS server that manages a local IP domain.
- Linux, Open Source
- Linux is an operating system whose code
is Open Source. You can download and make copies of
Open Source software freely, as long as you adhere
to the original licensing terms and include the original documentation
that gives credit to the authors. Open Source code is developed by many
contributors, facilitated by the Internet, and is thoroughly examined
and tested before being re-distributed in a new release version
of compiled software. You can download the source code,
modify it to suit your needs and if your changes are deemed valuable
to others, then they will be included in the next release version. Different
types of Open Source licensing agreements place restrictions on whether
or not you may sell software that contains Open Source code. Many individuals,
businesses and even governments (China, Brazil, India) are transitioning
from using expensive, proprietary software (e.g. Microsoft) to Open
Source software like Linux. Click the following link to open
a new window describing the various licensing terms of Certified
Open Source Software.
Why is this information useful? Linux is likely to be the dominant operating system of the future. Why? Quite simply, because it's free and very flexible. It still has a way to go before it's as easy to use as Windows, but when it gets there in a few years, expect to see a lot of people switching to Linux as their primary OS. Note that Mac OS X is based on Darwin, another Open Source operating system that is compatible with most Linux-compatible source code.
- Operating System, Platform (Windows, Macintosh)
- To put it as simply as possible, an operating system (OS) is the software
that allows you to operate your computer. Without an operating system
(or with a damaged OS), a computer just sits there helplessly. When
you turn your computer on, it automatically looks on the drives
for an operating system and loads the first one it finds. The reason
you have to sit there in front of the computer and wait for a minute
or so every time you turn it on is because the computer is loading the
OS into memory. The OS tells the computer what to do when you type on
the keyboard, when you move the mouse and when you look for and open
a file, among other things. After you open a file, it is program that
lets you work with that file, but it relies on the OS to get to the
point where the program can actually run. For example, if you opened
an image file, the OS would know what program is required to work on
it, and would tell a program, perhaps Photoshop, to open. The program
still relies on the OS to provide the structure in which it runs. The
OS determines, to a large degree, what the menus and windows will look
like. It determines how the program opens and saves files, and the OS
allows programs to access the network and the Internet. As a result,
different versions of a program must be made for each OS that it runs
on. There is one version of Photoshop that runs on Macintosh
computers (Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, etc.) and another version that runs on
Windows computers (Windows 98, Windows XP, etc.). Both
versions of Photoshop share almost identical features and are based
on the same code, but they are compiled, or built, to run on a specific
platform, or OS. Platform is a term that refers to
not only the OS, but the type of computer that the OS runs on. Windows
runs primarily on an x86 platform (originally developed by IBM, but
produced by Intel and AMD, for the most part). Mac OS runs primarily
on a PowerPC platform (produced, ironically, by IBM and Motorola).
Why is this information useful? About 90% of the computer world runs on some variety of Windows, but popularity doesn't imply superiority. The Ford Escort is the most popular car sold in America, but few would argue that it's the best. We won't get into a debate on the virtues of one OS vs. another, just remember not to automatically go with what's most popular without considering the other options. Every modern operating system will get you onto the Internet, allow you to check email, type papers and work with images. Look at what you want to use a computer for and take your OS for a test drive before you decide which one is the better deal. Look at what software is written for that operating system and try it out, either at a store or on a friend's computer. The price of a computer is nothing compared to the price of your time. If a particular OS allows you to get you work done more easily, is less obtrusive and is easier to maintain, then that's a major factor in your purchase decision. Don't think about just the purchase price of a computer. What's important is the total cost of investment, which includes many other factors, such as how long that computer will last, how much you'll have to spend to have somebody else fix it, the cost of software licensing, and the value of your time spent using it.
- Peripheral
- A peripheral is anything that is connected to the outside of the computer, including mice, keyboards, printers, scanners, and so on.
- Server (file server, print server, database server, web server)
- A server can be similar to any other computer connected to a network,
except that it is configured to provide various services to other computers
on the network. You can easily turn any personal computer into a server.
Servers have security features, such as password-protection, to prevent
unauthorized access to their files and services. A file server
provides a central place for computers on the network to save files,
so if you use more than one computer, you can always get the same files
(documents, pictures, etc.) by connecting each computer to a file server.
A print server provides centralized access to printers,
so instead of connecting each computer to its own printer, you simply
connect the print server to all the printers, and then everyone on the
network sends their print jobs to the print server. Many printers have
built-in print servers, but you can use any computer as a print server
for printers that don't have network ports. A database server
provides access to a central repository of shared information. Databases
have a multitude of uses and can be designed to display and manipulate
information in whatever way suits your needs. They are used by schools
to manage class schedules and student records. Databases are used by
businesses to manage inventory and track sales. A web server
is providing you access to the web page you're looking at right now.
The Internet is made of of thousands, perhaps millions, of web servers
that each serve one or more web sites. You can run a web server from
nearly any computer to share web pages within your school, workplace
or the world.
Why is this information useful? Servers don't have to be huge machines stored in the basements of large enterprises. You can easily set up a server in a home or small office to share valuable services with other computers on the network.
- Server (firewall, router, caching DNS, DHCP)
- The server definition is divided into two parts because this second
part is more advanced. A caching DNS server isn't something that you're
likely to try to set up by yourself unless you're a serious propeller-head.
Beyond the basic file and print servers, there are many other types
of servers that make networks of more than twenty computers run more
smoothly. Many of these servers can be purchased as what are called
server appliances. Server appliances are less flexible
than custom-built servers, but they are generally easier to install
and configure than a full-blown server. However, if you have an extra
computer available that's a few years old you can probably set up your
own server for free using Linux.
A firewall protects your network from unwanted intruders.
A router is like a telephone switchboard for your network.
The router directs the computers to each other and onto the Internet
when they wish to communicate. Every computer has an IP address,
which is of the form A.B.C.D, where each letter A-D represents a number
from 0-255. The address 255.255.255.255 is called the broadcast address
and is heard by everyone one on the subnet. As you know, a web site
is hosted on a web server which, like any other computer has an IP address.
The problem is, we only know the name of the site, and not the numerical
address of the computer that it's on. A DNS server
(a.k.a. name server) would tell your computer that
the IP address for www.apple.com is 17.112.152.32. On a network with
many computers, the DNS server would be constantly looking up those
addresses, which slows things down a bit. A caching DNS server
will look up an address once, but after that will remember that, for
example, www.apple.com is at 17.112.152.32, so it can save you time
by not making you wait for it to look it up again. A DHCP
server is extremely handy on any network of more than a few computers.
No two computers can have the same IP address on a given network. It
can be hard keeping track of what addresses are used, and which ones
aren't. A DHCP server does this for you. It automatically leases a unique
IP address out to a computer whenever it connects to the network, keeping
track of which IP addresses are already leased and which ones are available.
It makes your network plug and play, so long as the computer plugging
in is set to obtain an IP address automatically, which is how most computers
are set from the factory.
Why is this information useful? All of these server technologies make networks of more than a few computers run much more smoothly. One Linux computer can easily handle multiple duties as a firewall, router, caching DNS, and DHCP server all at the same time, and the software is free.
- Wi-Fi (AirPort, wireless network, 802.11)
- Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity. Wi-Fi represents
a set of open standards for wireless network communication, using radio
waves. Wi-Fi hardware is available for virtually any computer, allowing
it to connect to the Internet or a local network without any network
cables. The most common standard for Wi-Fi is known as 802.11b,
which provides wireless connectivity at speeds of eleven megabits per
second (11 Mbs) - slightly faster than standard Ethernet
(10 Mbs). Apple Computer popularized Wi-Fi by including it as an option
in every one of their computers. They sell a fully 802.11b-compatible
system called AirPort, along with a faster system based
on a new standard, 802.11g, known as AirPort
Extreme. The newer 802.11g operates at speeds of 54 Mbs, about
half the speed of Fast Ethernet (100 Mbs). Although I've mentioned Apple's
AirPort, don't get caught up in brand names - they are all intercompatible,
so long as they follow the same standard (802.11b, 802.11g, etc.). There
is another standard known as 802.11a, which also operates
at 54 Mbs, but uses a different radio frequency from the standards already
mentioned. Therefore, 802.11a is not compatible with the other
standards, except in an expensive dual-mode model, which has
two antennas - one for each frequency. You should probably avoid 802.11a,
due to these factors. Both 802.11b & 802.11g operate on the same
2.4 GHz band. Multiple devices with either 802.11b or 802.11g will work
together fine, but will operate at the slower 11 Mbs speed, unless the
both devices are using 802.11g.
A wireless network operates a lot like a cordless phone. There is a base station, which plugs into either your phone line, your broadband (DSL, Cable) modem, or any existing Ethernet network. Like a cordless phone, when you wander too far from the base station, your reception becomes poor, and eventually you get disconnected. Wi-Fi products have varying ranges which depend on their antennas, for the most part. A standard Wi-Fi base station, with an omni-directional antenna will have a range of two hundred feet or less, depending on obstructions and radio interference. As you venture further from the base station, your speed will drop down to 2 Mbs, which is still faster than a DSL connection, which is generally 1.5 Mbs or lower. We talked about the base station, but haven't mentioned the hardware each computer requires. Each computer must have a way of communicating with the base station. Laptop computers generally use a small card which slides into the PC card slot (a.k.a. PCMCIA card slot). Desktop computers can install a card into a PCI slot. Any type of computer that has a USB port can use a USB Wi-Fi bridge, and any type of computer that has an Ethernet port can use an Ethernet Wi-Fi bridge. Each of these devices has a little antenna sticking out of it. Some computers have built-in antennas, which means that there's nothing sticking out that can get broken off. These Wi-Fi cards can be found for under fifty dollars, and the base stations range from seventy to three hundred dollars, depending on their capabilities. If you have a Wi-Fi equipped laptop (802.11b or 802.11g), you may be surprised to find that your favorite coffee shop or bookstore has a Wi-Fi compatible base station in it that you can use for free. Many airports across the country are also installing Wi-Fi base stations as a courtesy to business travelers.
Why is this information useful? Many products on the market advertise wireless network capabilities, but a lot of them are based on proprietary protocols, so they won't work with products from other vendors. Now that you know that Wi-Fi is a standard, consisting mainly of 802.11b (11 Mbs) and 802.11g (54 Mbs) devices, you can go out and buy Wi-Fi products from different vendors, based on price and features, instead of worrying about whether the devices will work together or not. Once you buy a Wi-Fi card for your laptop, you may discover that your local coffee shop is a good place to sit down and surf the web for free.
©1994-2007 Kevin
Pedersen, Marintellect.