CWNA 

When I first started working with 802.11-based wireless networking, it was an interesting technology used by a few companies. I loved the deep knowledge required to work with it and became a student of all things Wi-Fi. Today, however, things have changed drastically. Few companies do not have wireless networks, and even those companies often have them and don't realize it, thanks to determined users. For the common user today, Wi-Fi or wireless has become synonymous with the Internet. They will say, "Do you have Wi-Fi?" and what they mean is, "Do you have wireless Internet?" While those of us who specialize in wireless networking may laugh at the point of confusion, it is understandable, given that wireless cellphones have made Internet access ubiquitous, and users may wonder why you would even have a wireless network if it was not also providing Internet access. In organizations, however, it is not uncommon to use wireless networking for internal access only.

Given that both internal network access and Internet access are in high demand across our wireless networks, it is essential that the wireless network administrator or CWNA, understand how the 802.11 standards come about and who creates these standards and manages the usage of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum. This chapter introduces you to both of these important concepts. First, you will explore a bit of history related to wireless communications. Next, you will examine the industry organizations who shape all things wireless. Then, you will examine the IEEE standard creation process. Finally, you will learn about common wireless network types. Let's get started and create a solid foundation for the rest of this book and your learning experience.

A Brief History of Wireless Communications

Over the air, electromagnetic wave-based communications (simply called wireless) have been utilized for many decades. In fact, radio and television both depend on these electromagnetic waves. Additionally, electromagnetic waves - or radio waves - have been used for purposes such as wireless voice conversations (today, we call these cellphones) and data communications. Militaries used wireless communications for many decades before it was commonly used in the private sector for personal and business purposes.