Cut the cord: Designing a wireless dorm room

Computers have become essential to today's college experience, but the majority of students won't want to crowd their dorm rooms with wires upon wires connecting each device to another. For this reason, a wireless dorm room may be the way to go.

Many schools now provide wireless internet access to campus residents. So designing a wireless dorm room starts not with a router, but a WiFi-enabled computer. A laptop will usually serve this purpose, as will a tablet. The devices are also highly portable, so they can be carried to class or the nearest coffee shop when the dorm room starts feeling cramped.

Next up are accessories. Most students need printers. Many also need scanners. A two-in-one machine that comes with Bluetooth® connectivity or can connect to a wireless network won't need to be physically plugged into the computer to work.

A wireless external hard drive can help a student keep homework backed up to a secondary source should the computer crash. Some students may also go for a cloud-based digital locker, which allows files to be accessed from anywhere without having to carry an extra drive.

The first lesson many college freshmen learn is one of space management. This is a lesson taught not in the classroom but in a tiny dorm room, and wireless technology could play a major role.