SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY RADIATION SAFETY OFFICE RADIATION SAFETY OFFICE RADIATION SAFETY OFFICE RADIATION SAFETY OFFICE Some Facts About Wireless Computer Networking Some Facts About Wireless Computer Networking Some Facts About Wireless Computer Networking Some Facts About Wireless Computer Networking Wireless computer networks operate much like cordless telephones. Each computer communicates with a base station, called a transceiver or access point. Unlike conventional wired computer networks, where the information is transmitted though a wire, in wireless networking that same information is in the form of a radiofrequency signal transmitted through the air. Just as a cell phone fades out when you move too far from the base station, wireless computer networks also have a finite range. At SFU, the range for the wireless transceiver is about 75 metres. The wireless computer networks at SFU operate at a frequency of 2.4 GigaHertz (GHz), which is the same electromagnetic frequency used by microwave ovens. Cell phones, by comparison, operate at lower frequencies - in the range of 0.8 – 1.9 GHz, but at higher power levels. FM radio operates in the frequency range of 0.088 – 0.1 GHz and at higher power levels than either cell phones or wireless networking. Cordless phones operate in the range of 0.045 – 2.4 GHz.