Wireless Transceivers

A wireless transceiver consists of a transmitter and a receiver. In the transmitter, a process known as modulation converts electrical digital signals inside a computer into either RF or light, which are analog signals. Amplifiers then increase the magnitude of the signals prior to departing an antenna. At the destination, a receiver detects the relatively weak signals and demodulates them into data types applicable to the destination computer. These elements, which Figure 3-1 illustrate, are found in what's referred to as the transceiver. The transceiver is generally composed of hardware that is part of the wireless NIC.