Wi-Fi is one of
the most significant technological developments of the modern era. This is the
standard wireless network that helps us enjoy all the comforts of modern media
and connectivity. But what is really Wi-Fi?
The term Wi-Fi
means wireless fidelity. Like other wireless connections, such as Bluetooth,
Wi-Fi is a radio broadcast technology. Wireless accuracy is based on a set of
standards that enable secure, high-speed communications between a wide variety
of digital devices, access points, and hardware. It allows Wi-Fi enabled
devices to access the Internet without the need for real cables.
Wi-Fi can run
on short and long distances, locked and secure, or open and free. It is
incredibly versatile and easy to use. That's why it is found on many popular
devices. Wi-Fi is ubiquitous and extremely important to the way we operate our
modern connected world.
For Best Home Wi-Fi to work, the modem
converts the Internet signal provider (ISP) and the wireless router distributes
the connection to Wi-Fi enabled devices.
How
does Wi-Fi work –
Although Wi-Fi
is generally used to access the Internet on portable devices such as
smartphones, tablets, or laptops, in reality, Wi-Fi is used to connect to a
router. Wi-Fi is a wireless connection to this device, not the Internet itself.
It also gives you access to a local area network of connected devices, so you
can print photos wirelessly or watch a video stream from cameras connected by
Wi-Fi.
Instead of
using wired connections like Ethernet, most of the time, Wi-Fi is used. Each
frequency range has multiple channels that can be used to help you make the
most of your traffic.
The typical
range of a standard Wi-Fi network can be up to 100 meters outdoors. Buildings
and other materials reflect the signal, which makes most Wi-Fi networks much
narrower than that. 10 to 35 meters are generally more common. The strength of
the antenna and the diffuser can also affect the effective range of the
network. Higher frequencies, such as 5 GHz and 60 GHz, have effective ranges
much lower than 2.4 GHz.
Anyone within
the range of a Wi-Fi network and the compatible device can detect the system
and try to connect to it. That's what the job does, and it doesn't work. That
is why there are standards such as WPA, WPA2 and WPA3 and it is essential to
change your password if you think someone is accessing your network without
permission.
What
is 802.11 –
Frequently
spoken in conjunction with Wi-Fi, 802.11, or IEEE 802.11, this is a set of
protocols that specifies the type of communication that can occur over a Wi-Fi
network with multiple wireless frequencies.
Before the
recent amendment of the naming convention, 802.11 was also an essential part of
the name for each successive generation of Wi-Fi connectivity. As a rule,
followed by a letter or series of letters, it is still part of the naming
convention — the scientific name of each generation of Wi-Fi connectivity.
Wi-Fi, although simpler naming schemes are now used, labeled for ages.
What
devices use Wi-Fi –
For 2019, Wi-Fi
devices are everywhere. Most routers offer Wi-Fi connectivity and almost all
smart products on the Internet. Nearly all modern smartphones are compatible,
as are tablets, laptops, and some desktops. It can also be added to computers
that use flash drives.
What
are the different versions of Wi-Fi –
The first
wireless network was created in 1971. Known as ALOHAnet, it was the forerunner
of modern standards such as 802.11 and served as proof of concept for the next
decades of wireless networking.
However, it was
not until 1997 that the first version of the 802.11 protocol was released,
offering speeds of up to 2Mbit per second. This was improved two years later to
11 Mbit per second and ratified as 802.11b. The same year, the Wi-Fi Alliance
was created as a non-profit organization to maintain the Wi-Fi brand, monitor technology
development, and provide a certification process for companies wishing to sell
Wi-Fi enabled products. Today, it includes hundreds of companies, including
industry giants like Apple, Dell, and Facebook.
Many
generations of Wi-Fi connectivity have been launched over the past two decades.
Most modern devices take advantage of 802.11n, 802.11ac, and more recently
802.11ax. These technologies have opened a wide range of potential frequencies
to facilitate overcrowding of the network as well as higher data rates. Today,
the fastest ones offer up to 15 Gbit per second, although slower speeds are
more common.
In late 2018,
the Wi-Fi Alliance announced its intention to use a new naming convention for
generations of Wi-Fi. Starting with Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), I would start referring
to them with this schema. A simple name to make it easier for the public to
understand the features of the new standards when they are published.
