Wireless LAN Basics Blazing 11Mbps (maximum raw) Data Rate Shared Medium 11 Channels (USA)

Access Control "Hidden" Networks Shared Password (WEP) MAC Address Filtering

With respect to speed and security, wireless Access Points are roughly equivalent to 10Mbps hubs. Once connected you can chew bandwidth, sniff packets, etc.

This technology is suitable for relatively small, static, and managable groups of users.