Want to know how a wireless home networking setup works?
A wireless home network is not very complex. There are a few basic components found in most home 802.11 networking setups. More advanced components can be installed such as a print server to put the printer on the network and repeaters to extend the range. However for the sake of simplicity we will stick to the basic components which should be enough to understand how these more advanced features would fit in. Fundamentally there is an access point (also called a wireless gateway or a router) and however many computers connect to it. The access point is the center of the cable free network and is literally a gateway as it provides connectivity to the wired portion (if present) and the internet.
The wireless routers are generally connected to the DSL or cable modems so that they can control both the wired and non-wired networks. This means that it addresses (numbers) each computer on the network even if it is cabled. Also it provides connectivity to anything that can get its signal. This means that many people get (sometimes steal) internet access through a neighbor and hackers can easily get personal information (such as acquiring people’s e-mail accounts) from the street. Both of these can easily be stopped with either WEP or WPA which are forms of encryption. Virtually all official experts and networking equipment manufacturers recommend WEP be enabled. The router also does special things (NATing) to allow multiple computers to use the internet even if the ISP does not provide the means for; they frequently provide only one IP address. Other consumer grade routers do this as well. A router is overall a very simple device and is very easy to setup.
The mobile laptops both transmit and receive information from the gateway. The main consideration is if they can get a signal (and thus maintain a connection) from the access point. What is between the two devices in the interior of your house greatly impacts how clearly they can talk to each other. Generally the more walls and distance between them the worse the reception is. The good part is that the weakest connection is still is faster than virtually all internet connections. This works a lot like a cell phone does; the least number of bars works just as good as all the bars but if you get less than one bar, even if only for a moment, you notice it. Some places in the interior of your house will naturally get better reception than others.
Home wireless networks are engineered to be simple and easy to install by the equipment manufacturers. Home networking is based on the 802.11 standards which means that there are a number of devices you had never thought of (such as a telescope) that can be network enabled and placed on various networks. The home wireless networking centers on the gateway.