WiFI FACTS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

WiFi, love it or hate, we all use it every single day. There was a time, not long ago, that in order to access the internet you had to choose between surfing the web or speaking on the phone. We have come a long way since our dial-up modems to completely wireless mobile hotspots that can deliver high speed internet connections all around the world using the cellular 4G networks. If you had said those words to someone in the 90’s they would have given you a blank stare.

Our relationship with WiFi now is just yelling at someone to unplug and replug in the wireless router because your Netflix paused in the middle of a show. Let’s take a look at some WiFi facts, so that maybe you at least know what you’re yelling about.

1. The earliest existence of what we consider WiFi is actually from Hawaii and called ALOHAnet, which was a computer networking system that was developed at the University of Hawaii. This was the first example of a wireless packet data network in the 70’s, and 20 years later AT&T created the true first version of WiFi called IEEE 802.11.
2. In order for two computers to be able to connect with each other and communicate, they have to speak a language, and that language must be standard across the board… this language is called IEEE 802.11.
3. WiFi doesn’t actually stand for “Wireless Fidelity” like you might have thought. The only reason we believe that to be the case is due to an advertisement campaign with the slogan “The Standard for Wireless Fidelity.” The truth is, WiFi doesn’t actually stand for anything and is actually officially spelled Wi-Fi, but nobody adheres to this rule.
4. WiFi transmits data at primarily two frequencies… 2.4GHz or 5GHz. As you may know, WiFi is just radio waves transmitting data, and because they are higher frequencies than cellphones, so they can carry more information. However, because of this high frequency they also use more power and have a shorter range.
5. There are a few different kinds of WiFi other than IEE802.11. Although IEE802.11 is the original set of standards, there have been a few more since including: IEE802.11a, IEE802.11b, IEE802.11g, IEE802.11n, and IEE802.11. Each standard comes with it’s own parameters and it’s own pros and cons. Due to feasibility and cost, some hardware is not able to broadcast certain forms of WiFi, although the newer version are meant to be backwards compatible.

Now that you have at least a slightly better understanding of what WiFi is, maybe you’ll be a bit more understanding next time when your high frequency radio signal slows down momentarily, and you have to pause your show for a minute or two while things get back to working order.