Being Fordham students and most of us (with few exceptions) having lived in a dorm here on the Rose Hill Campus and have experienced first hand the wired verses wireless network. Every Fordham dorm room comes equipped with an Ethernet port (also known as a data jack) for each student in the room. In order to connect to the internet, a student needs to have an Ethernet cable that he/she can plug from the computer and into the data jack. However, in order to obtain internet access, a student’s computer must have a LAN (local area connection) set up on the computer. This allows the computer to recognize the network, and with the “easy” Fordham login, one can have internet access.
However, there are many reasons as to why a student might be unable to be wired. Perhaps there is no data jack. Maybe you don’t feel like buying an Ethernet cable. Or, since Fordham advertises that it is 99% wireless, you expect that being wired would not even be an option. Well, if you have wireless signal on your computer (if you have a wireless/airport card) you can easily pick up the wireless network. You need to be part of a network or have a router that emits the wireless signal to be able to have access to a wireless network. Most are password protected, such a with Fordham’s network. So, to log onto a wireless network (such as here at Fordham), you simply connect to the wireless network and log in using your accessIT ID username and password.
Both wired and wireless technologies can have their pro and cons. For wired:
| Pro's | Con's | |
|---|---|---|
| Reliable - Not affected by other wireless signals (portable/cellular phones, microwaves, etc) | Affected by moisture and other weather conditions | |
| Price (wire is cheap!) | Can be affected by noise generated by machinery and magnetics | |
| High Life Expectancy | Length of wire runs limited | |
| High Speed | ||
| QoS (Quality of Service) |
And for wireless:
| Pro's | Con's |
|---|---|
| Convenient | Un-reliable - affected by other wireless signals (portable/cellular phones, microwaves, etc) |
| Range | Price |
| High Life Expectancy | Signals can be easily intercepted |
| Speeds are much slower than wired | |
| QoS (Quality of Service) |
Although being wired has it benefits of having a constant, continuous connection, I personally prefer the wireless connection, such that I can more around and do not have to be stationary at my desk, or wherever a data jack might be. There are also a lot of new technologies that are wireless bases (such as wireless printers), and it makes me wonder how much longer we'll rely on wired technologies...
(information boxes from http://www.skullbox.net/wiredvswireless.php)
I agree with Lauren in that though wireless does have its cons and wired-technology its pros, that even just in the convenience of the wireless devices the pros outweigh the cons. I feel most people like the security of constantly having their cellphone with them and being able to contact anyone at any particular time. Also wireless technologies such as iPods make long commutes on the bus/ train/ walking seem shorter and allows you to listen to whatever music you want at the gym instead of whatever they have playing on the radio.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lauren and Ruby as well. While overall quality of the technology might be sacrificed for convenience, it is not necessarily a bad thing. Wireless opens the doors to many new possibilities that wired connections never could. Now we have the option of relying on technologies such as cell phones, laptops, and much more in places that would previously have been impossible to do so.
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ReplyDeleteInteresting to see you all relate to wireless, and there certainly has been an explosion of wireless technology in our time. The great significance of wireless is for situations where we are on the go, going mobile (that's an old song by The Who). When we're in a set location like the home or office, wired technology can be more advantageous, even if people find it easier to stick with the wireless.
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