Wireless connections

Wireless connections allow devices to send data without the need for wires. Wireless technologies all share the same weaknesses. They are less secure as anyone can read the data unless it is encrypted. It is slower than wired and also suffers more from interference. The further you move away from a wireless access point (WAP) the worse the signal will be.

802.11.x (also called WiFi) - This is most common when connecting to the internet at home or in businesses. A wireless router acts as a WAP (wireless access point) and will give access to the network. The numbers, 802.11, stand for the standard which WiFi uses. The letter on the end specify's the version. The higher the letter the faster the connection will be.

Bluetooth - This used to be a rival to WiFi but it has now found its own niche. It is used to connect peripherals to devices such as headsets for mobile phones or keyboards for IPads. Bluetooth can be used to allow two mobile phones to transfer contacts or images. This is known as a add-hoc connection.

Infrared - This is a old technology which is still used. For example the nintendo Wii uses it as a pointer and kinnect uses it to locate people when playing kinnect games. However it can also be used to transmit small amounts of data.