Data transmission

Wireless devices:
A wireless device is a device which transmits the data or information through radio or electromagnetic waves, and does not require any physical connection, like a copper or optical fiber cable. A wireless network connection is required for the devices to work.

Peripherals:
A peripheral is a piece of hardware that hooks up to your computer. Peripheral devices can be hooked directly to the computer or it can be wireless. Some popular peripherals are, printers, hard drives, plotters, etc.

Sometimes these peripheral devices in order to operate will require the installation of drivers. These usually come with the item, but sometimes it is necessary to get the latest version from the Internet.

Peripherals are also labeled according the "hookup" type. That is the type of cable required to hook it up to the computer. The more popular connections these days are USB, Firewire and Wireless. Some other connection types from the past are SCSI, Serial and Parallel. While these connections still exist they are usually used only on older machines.

A peripheral device can also be a stand-alone unit independent of the computer. These include, but not limited to, devices like magnetic tape cleaners and/or testers.