Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity!
Haha! You're wrong buddy. A common misconception is that the term Wi-Fi stands for "Wireless Fidelity". Back in 1999, the wireless industry needed a marketing name for new products that conformed to the so called IEEE 802.11 standards.
IEEE 802.11 didn't have much of a ring to it and the association wanted a catchy name. They came up with Wi-Fi and that's what's been used ever since.
Since the name Wi-Fi rhymes with Hi-Fi which was short for High Fidelity, a term that referred to go quality sound systems people began to say that Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity.
I didn't know that! What is that IEEE 802.11 thing that you mentioned earlier?
IEEE 802.11 is the general standard developed by IEEE ( The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - the folks who create many of the standards for network equipment), for wireless local networks.
How does the Wi-Fi work?
This technology uses radio signals to transmit information between our devices and the router in the same way that a radio or mobile phone receives sound. Think of it as a two way radio!
I've seen that Wi-Fi networks have different names. Can I name my Wi-Fi network?
The name of Wi-Fi network is technically called as SSID ( Service Set Identifier). It identifies a specific Wi-Fi network. Your devices must know the name of your Wi-Fi to connect to it.
What do I need to setup a Wi-Fi network?
You will need a device called router to setup a Wi-Fi network. And for the first time you need to configure your router using a computer to setup your Wi-Fi network.
I've heard about something called as an access point. What is it?
An access point is generally the core of your Wi-Fi network and is generally physically connected to a wired network as well. Your router is an access point that includes additional functionality that will allow various devices to communicate with each other and share an internet connection.
The Mi Wi-Fi, Mi Wi-Fi mini and portable Wi-Fi are examples of routers.
How fast are these Wi-Fi networks?
The speed of the Wi-Fi depends upon the technology used in it.
Let's take a look at different Wi-Fi technologies:
| Wi-Fi technology | Frequency | Speed |
| 802.11b | 2.4 GHz | 11 Mbps |
| 802.11a | 5 GHz | 54 Mbps |
| 802.11g | 2.4GHz | 54Mbps |
| 802.11n | 2.4 GHz or 5GHz | 300 Mbps |
| 802.11ac | 5 GHz | 1300 Mbps |
The short answer for this question is no! The intensity of a Wi-Fi signal is much less than that of a movie phone radio signal.
It has been estimated that you get a bigger dose of radiation from 20 minute phone call than from a year's Wi-Fi.
If you are extremely fussed about Wi-Fi then make sure you sit 1m or more away from the router.
I've heard that there are some modes in Wi-Fi. What are they?
Yes, there are two modes in Wi-Fi. The access points can function in either "ad hoc" mode or " infrastructure " mode and many Wi-Fi devices can only connect to infrastructure mode networks, not ad hoc ones.
Wi-Fi networks in infrastructure are generally created by Wi-Fi routers while ad hoc networks are generally created by laptops or other devices.
And one last question: What are the pros and cons of Wi-Fi networks?
Pros:
- No wires
- Simple setup
- Almost all devices are Wi-Fi compatible.
- Less reliability
- Small range of signal
- Susceptible to attacks
- Interference due to other devices operating at same frequency(microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices etc)