How Does a Wireless Network Work?

Sending and Receiving Data

A wireless network begins with the sending and receiving of data. Any data that your computer intends to share over a network is first sent to the network's wireless adapter. This information can be anything from sending and receiving large files to simple text instant messages from one computer to another. The adapter translates this information into a radio signal, which it then sends over an antenna either directly to another computer or to a router.

The other computer (via another wireless adapter) or the router receives the radio signal and converts it back into a format that computers can understand. Once this has happened, the information can be accessed by all computers on the network if made accessible to everyone, or just to individual computers if the specification was made. This entire process can happen quickly for small files, or can take some time depending on file size and speed of antennas and routers.

Connecting to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet works in much the same way as the sharing of information over a network. The wireless router or antenna (depending once again on the number of computers connected to this network) receives information from the Internet via a modem in the form of a radio signal. The wireless adapter or modem then allows the computers connected to them to use this information in any way they see fit.