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Understanding WiFi: The Basics
Recently I wrote a blog about if WiFi is reall y as unsecure as some believe it is. I would like to now delve into the basics of WiFi, how it works, how to use it and some of the new technology.
WiFi is a wireless connection to an existing network. Commonly you will hear people refer to wireless internet, which in most cases WiFi is a portal to the internet, but it actually is not wireless internet. There is other options to achieve wireless internet, such as Air Cards offered by our cellular providers. WiFi allows a computer to connect to a network as if it were plugged in by a wire. This will allow access to local servers, file sharing, other computers, printers, and if available; the internet.
I would like to take just a quick minute to also address something about WiFi that often confuses people. What is 802.11a, b, g, and or n? The easiest way to think of these is they are standards, that when the computer and access point (this is a wireless broadcasting device) operate with the same standard, they can talk. This leads into the next question of what is better? The easiest way for me to show this is a chart. I am only going to cover the common ones, there is one (y) which currently we do not see in use.
|
Standard |
Speed |
Compatibility |
Notes |
|
54 Mbps |
A only |
5 GHz bandwidth, this is more common in businesses | |
|
11 Mbps |
B only |
2.4 GHz, this was the original common home wireless | |
|
54 Mbps |
B, G |
2.4 GHz, this was an upgrade on the B standard | |
|
600 MBps |
B, G, N |
5, 2.4 GHz, this is the progression forward, faster, better range and compatibility with both B and G. |
WiFi today is pretty easy to use. There is typically an icon found in the notification area of our task bar (bottom right where the clock is). Depending on the wireless adapter you have the icon may differ. Any of the following are examples, and there is still many more!
You will double click on the wireless icon. From here regardless of which one you used you will either find a list of wireless networks available, or have a button / tab for a list of wireless networks. Next select on the network you wish to connect to, and click connect. If it is a secure network you will need the passkey (these are WEP or WPA keys usually). The network administrator or owner should have this key available. Once you type it in and click connect, you are on! If you run into difficulties, see the network admin or network owner.
What’s new now? Well, Wireless N has been out for a bit, but up until recently it was referred to as Pre-N or Draft-N. This was because the manufacturers disagreed on what was the best approach to a standard, now the WiFi Alliance has moved it closer to a standard. Finally the companies will all work with each other. Be careful if you buy N products, and be sure it is Draft 2.0! If you are uncertain of which draft or release it is, I would avoid it. This new standard allows for speeds up to 600 Mbps! This is 11 times faster than 802.11G the previous standard. There was some companies claiming they could Speed Boost 802.11G up to around 120Mbps. In most cases, this only happened for a few seconds when performing a task like downloading a file or another task that uses continuous access. Then it would fall back to 54 Mbps. This new technology also allows compatibility to 802.11A! This is a huge step forward.
So what does all of this mean for you the consumer? Have you ever been sitting in your hotel room where you paid for a night of internet at nearly $10.00 and the coverage is so low that you can barely get this internet you paid for? Or you set up a wireless at your house and wanted to use it while on your porch, but it just wasn’t reliable? Wireless N Draft 2.0 is here to address these exact problems. Wireless N is offering much greater speeds, and better range than any previous wireless technology. They have incorporated some really cool technologies to overcome these problems. That means if you get spotty coverage now, you should have good coverage with a Wireless N. This allows you to sit on your porch browsing face book and twitter while relaxing and sipping a martini without having to worry about the stress and frustration of an inconsistent wireless network. Which is the last thing most of us want to think about!
I have written plenty here! I will write some more advanced details and features about wireless networking in a blog coming soon.
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