Unlike traditional technologies such as cable and <---****HYPERLINK****--->"http://www.tech-faq.com/dsl.shtml">DSL, wireless Internet offers an alternative for Internet users who have a heavy dependence on infrastructure pipelines to the net. Communication tower beams are placed throughout the nation to send signals to subscribers who are within a given radius (usually 30-40 miles).

How wireless Internet work is that the wireless data signals are trapped by the receivers (which are similar to those used for <---****HYPERLINK****--->"http://www.tech-faq.com/satellite-television.shtml">satellite television). The data then is transferred through a pipe via a cable line through a dedicated wireless Internet receiver. The receiver transmits a signal to a desktop computer or a laptop through a specific <---****HYPERLINK****--->"http://www.tech-faq.com/802.11b.shtml">802.11b connection. In a nutshell, the signal travels from a wireless tower to the receiver in one's computer.

Because the signals are miles away, the time it takes for a specific block of data on a data track to rotate around to the read/write head will be essentially low. Web pages will load at a faster rate and playing online video games and communicating through video conference will be easy and pain free. However, some wireless Internet providers require one's receiver to be directly connected to the wireless tower. In other words, if the connection between the receiver and the tower is interrupted, such as a tree falls down during a storm and blocks the signal between the receiver and the wireless tower, the wireless service will drastically reduce, which results to slower web page loading or even no Internet connection.

Location plays a role in the quality of the wireless Internet experience. If one lives on an open, plain area, the consequences of a disconnection aren.t much of a concern. However, if one lives in an urban area where construction projects and etc. are constantly taking place, the chances of having a disconnection is quite is high.

Receiving excessive high explosion of data reception within five megabytes per second or higher is possible. Even when wireless Internet users must share the connection with other subscribers, connection usually remains constant, even through the busiest times of the day. The wireless Internet realm may not provide the fastest upload and download times, but studies show that the wireless Internet technology is a lot better than the typical dialup connection.