Wireless connections today are ubiquitous and taken for granted; however, there is a complex world at work behind the scenes that relies on highly specific conditions. Whether on a laptop, cell phone, or other wireless handheld device, everyone has experienced the frustration of a faulty wireless signal. For this reason, it is helpful to understand some causes of signal weakness or failure. A brief study of the differences between wired and wireless networks, the basics of multiple access protocols, and increased challenges posed by mobility will offer a basic understanding of the complexities involved in successful wireless data transmission, or what can be described as the "21st century grease of the daily grind." When a user chooses to "unplug" from the wired internet and connect through a virtual wire instead, they introduce a myriad of problems. Some basic challenges result from the differences between a wired and wireless network: decreasing signal...

Signals, which are electromagnetic radiation, attenuate and result in path loss (a weaker transmission) due to interfering matter such as walls or distance in general. Other types of interference include radio sources transmitting at the same frequency, and nearby electromagnetic noise from appliances or motors. The strength of a signal relative to the overall noise interference is the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). When the SNR is high, the bit error rate (BER) is lowered, resulting in a more reliable transmission. Finally, signal blurring occurs when parts of the electromagnetic wave bounce off objects or the ground. When this happens, the signal is taking paths of many different lengths to reach the receiver, a phenomenon known as multipath propagation. Multipath propagation is complicated further when the objects between sender and receiver are in motion.
Successful wireless networking becomes…