If devices use a specific frequency for a wireless link, why do the channels need to be
spaced apart at all? The reason lies with the practical limitations of RF signals, the electronics
involved in transmitting and receiving the signals, and the overhead needed to
add data to the signal effectively.
In practice, an RF signal is not infinitely narrow; instead, it spills above and below a center
frequency to some extent, occupying neighboring frequencies, too. It is the center
frequency that defines the channel location within the band. The actual frequency range
needed for the transmitted signal is known as the signal bandwidth , as shown in Figure
1-8 . As its name implies, bandwidth refers to the width of frequency space required
within the band. For example, a signal with a 22-MHz bandwidth is bounded at 11 MHz
above and below the center frequency. In wireless LANs, the signal bandwidth is defined
as part of a standard. Even though the signal might extend farther above and below the