Just as cellular-phone technology untethered talkers from telephone cords, a new wireless standard is freeing computer users from network cables. Wireless Fidelity, a.k.a. Wi-Fi or 802.11b, uses radio transmissions to connect computer devices to a network-or to each other-at distances of up to about 100 meters. With Wi-Fi, you can surf the Web, grab work files from your company's server, and check your e-mail-all without having to plug into a network jack.

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