Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is the name of a popular wireless networking technology for wireless local area networking that uses radio waves to provide wireless high-speed Internet and network connections based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance, which restricts the use of the term Wi-Fi certified to products that successfully complete interoperability certification testing. Wireless Fidelity is a generic term that refers to the IEEE 802.11 communications standard for WLANs.

The two basic components of a Wi-Fi network are a computer device outfitted with a low-power radio and another radio-equipped gadget known as an access point, which is wired to the Internet or a local network. The two communicate with each other over a free slice of the radio spectrum reserved for consumer use and inhabited by microwave ovens and cordless phones. WiFi network topology can be Access point (Infrastructure Mode), Peer-to-peer-based (Ad-hoc Mode), or Point-to-multipoint bridge type of topology.

A WiFi network can be easily set up in a home or office and allow all users to share files, printers and a single internet connection, the network can be expanded by adding WiFi radio cards to new devices. Wi-Fi provides freedom to physically move around your home or business and still stay connected to the Internet or local network. Public WiFi “hotspots” are rapidly becoming common in coffee shops, hotels convention centers, airport, libraries and community areas. A WiFi network allows guest and travellers to connect to a public access point and obtain high speed internet access.

Benefits of WiFi are they replace wired Ethernet, extended access, cost reductions, and mobility. The absence of wires and cables extends access to places where wires and cables cannot go, and they bring down the cost.