What is the WiFi? This is how the technology that connects everything to the Internet works

WiFi comes from  'Wireless Fidelity' , that is,  'wireless fidelity' . It is a wireless data transmission technology used for the Internet - mainly  - and that is based on the 802.11 standard. But what is it really, and how does it work? In most cases it is used in the home environment, for the connection of devices in a local network, but it is not the only practical application possible, and the details about its operation are much more complex and interesting than a priori Could appeared how wireless internet works.

Whenever possible, it is most convenient to connect  by cable . It is the greatest guarantee of speed and stability; However, there are cases in which only the WiFi connection is possible. And its advantage is precisely there, in that the WiFi can arrive where the wired connection does not arrive, as it happens with mobile networks in relation to the fiber optic broadband infrastructure. In addition, in terms of installation cost it is also cheaper than a wired network.

How does WiFi connectivity work?

The  WiFi is based on radio waves, exactly like the radio itself, mobile telephony or television. However, the frequencies used for this wireless connectivity technology are different, specifically  2.4 GHz up to the 802.11n and  5 GHz standard in  802.11 ac. Currently, although the 5 GHz provide superior performance, both frequencies are used and, in addition, in the higher performance equipment the data transfer is combined by both bands.

The two components of WiFi

In a WiFi connection we have a wireless adapter in a computer - or other device - that translates the data in the form of a radio signal and, through an antenna, transmits them  'over the air' . And a router, also wireless, which is responsible for receiving the signal and decode it. And once this is done, by a physical connection, by cable, through Ethernet, it sends the information through the Internet to other servers.

Obviously, this whole process happens exactly the same, but vice versa, when it is the  'customer' who has to receive information from the Internet. The wireless router receives data that translates into a radio signal and sends to the wireless adapter. All this can happen in 2.4 or 5 GHz, as we mentioned earlier, and over 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac standards. There is backward compatibility between adapter standards and access points, and in the latest specifications it can be transmitted simultaneously in two bands for faster data transfer speed.

What is a WiFi hotspot?

An  access point is an area with wireless connectivity through this technology. Our router is a WiFi hotspot, for example, as long as it has this technology, and public networks in coffee shops, airports and other establishments are too. However, a wide variety of wireless network adapters can share WiFi if they are connected to another network that allows them to access the Internet. In fact, smartphones can take advantage of wireless connectivity with mobile networks and, therefore, we can share WiFi with Android and iPhone .