HP C8975A HP Deskjet 5800 Series printer - (English) User Guide - Page 60

wireless networking basics The printer's built-in wireless communications feature allows you to connect the printer directly to a 802.11b wireless network without the aid of an external print server. To install the printer on a 802.11b wireless network, follow these instructions. 802.11b or Wi-Fi description 802.11b is a wireless communications technology that allows you to connect computers and other devices (such as printers) to each other and the Internet without the use of wires. 802.11b works by radio transmission in the 2.4 Ghz range. Devices communicate at a speed of 11 Mb/s whenever possible. If signal strength is low or interference disrupts data flow, the speed drops to 5.5 Mb/s, 2 Mb/s, or 1 Mb/s. other 802.11 standards 802.11g and 802.11a are emerging wireless networking technologies that offer more processing speed than 802.11b. If you have an 802.11g wireless network, it is recommended that you use an Ethernet cable to connect the printer to the network's Wireless Access Point (WAP) in order to achieve a processing speed comparable to that of the 802.11g network. If you have an 802.11a wireless network, you must use an Ethernet cable to connect the printer to the network's Wireless Access Point (WAP) in order to achieve a processing speed comparable to that of the 802.11a network. 802.11a and 802.11b operate on different frequencies, and are, therefore, incompatible. To connect the printer to an Ethernet network, follow these instructions. adapters and access points adapters While some devices, such as the printer, have built-in 802.11b capability, other devices need an adapter to become 802.11b-enabled. Examples of common adapters include: