A wireless local area network (WLAN) allows devices to connect to a local network using radio waves instead of cables. WLANs provide connectivity for devices like laptops, phones, and smart appliances over distances of hundreds of feet. Key advantages of WLANs are mobility and easier installation compared to wired networks. However, WLANs also face security risks and reliability issues from signal interference that wired networks do not.

1. WIRELESS LAN
wireless local area network /LAWN

2. WLAN (BRADLEY MITCHELL)
• A wireless local area network (WLAN) provides wireless
network communication over short distances using radio or
infrared signals instead of traditional network cabling. A WLAN
is a type of local area network (LAN).

3. WIRELESS LAN
• From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5. TYPES OF WLANS
• mobile phones
• laptop and tablet computers
• Internet audio systems
• game consoles
• Internet-enabled home appliances

6. ADVANTAGES OF WIRELESS LANS
• People can access the network from where they want; they are
no longer limited by the length of the cable
• Some places and vehicles have Wireless LANs. This means that
people can access the internet even outside their normal work
environment, for example when they ride a train.
• Setting up a wireless LAN can be done with one box
called wireless access point or wireless router. This box can
handle many connections at the same time. Wired networks
require cables to be laid. This can be difficult for certain places.

7. WLAN VS. WWAN
• Cell phone networks support mobile phones connecting over
long distances - a type of so-called wireless wide area
networks (WWAN). What distinguishes a local network from a
wide network are the usage models they support along with
some rough limits on physical distance and area:
• local area networks cover individual buildings or public
hotspots - spanning hundreds or thousands of square feet
(meters)
• wide area networks cover cities or geographic regions -
spanning miles or kilometers

8. DISADVANTAGES OF WIRELESS LANS
• Wireless LANs use radio waves to communicate. Special care needs to
be taken to encrypt information.
• The signal is noisier than on wires, and more bandwidth needs to be
spent on error correction
• A typical IEEE 802.11 access point has a range of meters from where
devices can connect. To extend the range more access points are
needed.
• There are many reliability problems, especially those connected
to interference from other devices.
• Wireless LANs are much slower than wired ones; this may not matter
for most users though, because the bottleneck in a home network is
usually the speed of the ADSL line or other Internet connection.

9. WIRELESS LAN SECURITY
• Network security remains an important issue for WLANs.
Wireless clients usually must have their identity verified (a
process called authentication) when joining a wireless LAN.
Technologies like WPA raise the level of security on wireless
networks to rival that of traditional wired networks.

10. REFERENCES USED FOR DATA COLLECTION
• https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_LAN
• https://www.lifewire.com/wlan-816565
• http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/wirel
ess-LAN