A wireless access point acts in a very similar manner as a hub. Wireless NIC’s connect to the access point in order to connect to the network. Normally a special key has to be sent to stop un-authorized people from accessing the network. Wireless networks minimize the amount of cable needed but are very error prone. Especially in bad weather.

Distance is an issue as well. Quality exponentially drops the further you get away from a access point. If the signal is low, then you will have many errors in your data so it will need to be resent. This is the exact same as when your using your mobile phone in a low reception area. You will hear clicks and gaps in the speech. These are errors due to the low signal.

There are two main wireless technologies at the moment. 802.11 and Bluetooth. Both have there uses. Bluetooth is used more for connecting mobile devices such as a PDA or a GPRS route planner. Mobile phones also use Bluetooth to connect accessories to them wirelessly (wireless headset being the most popular). 802.11 is used more for connecting computers together due to the fact it has a higher band width. It can come in multiple flavours (802.11.a, 802.11.b, 802.11g). The higher the letter the higher the band width is.