What Wi-Fi networks are there? How it works? The spread of Wi-Fi in everyday life

The essence and principle of operation of Wi-Fi

Literally, this letter combination means “wireless precision Internet network.” At the initial stage of its development, this communication mechanism was available only for local wireless networks (the so-called wireless LAN). A few years later, Wi-Fi became available not only for local networks.

The main feature of this technology is that it is convenient to use for large networks, within which it is impractical to deploy a huge amount of cable. There is no loss in the quality and speed of information transfer due to the presence of wireless communication support. In modern wireless networks, the speed of information transfer via Wi-Fi is even several times higher than the speed of systems with the same amount of data that do not use Wi-Fi.

Thanks to a well-organized data management system, a user who switches between different access points of the same system is able to not lose connection to the network.

With the advent of wireless Internet networks, our lives have changed. Almost every home, store, transport or shopping center has at least one or more Wi-Fi access points. By the end of 2015, many transport companies throughout the CIS promise to equip every subway and tram car with an Internet router. The Wi-Fi coverage network, which is rapidly growing exponentially, can support a large number of users. Handling hundreds of terabytes of data per day, Wi-Fi technology makes our lives easier by giving us access to a continuous flow of information on the global Internet.

In 2014, the international organization for the development of world information technologies developed and approved the latest standard for using Wi-Fi. Its code is IEEE 8o2.11ac. At the moment, routers that operate according to the latest standard are not widespread in mass production, however, the continuous process of their introduction into our lives is just beginning. The standard is capable of operating at frequencies above 5 Gigahertz; this frequency ensures that signal interference becomes almost imperceptible.

The following illustration will help explain in more detail what Wi-Fi is. It shows that any Wi-Fi router has its own coverage area, within which users can access the WWW using their Wi-Fi-enabled devices

The main advantages and disadvantages of Wi-Fi technology

Among the advantages of Wi-Fi, the following points can be highlighted:

1. The ability to organize a network without using an Internet cable, thus reducing the cost of this network several times.
2. Mobile use. The technology allows users to connect to existing access points as quickly as possible and ensures fast data transfer between client and server.
3. All devices (personal computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones and other devices) that are connected to the same network can interact with each other, exchanging content and information.

1. The maximum territorial coverage of one Wi-Fi access point is one hundred kilometers. This characteristic depends on the technical capabilities of the wireless network.
2. Wi Fi routers are very easy to install. They do not require dismantling if you suddenly need to change the location of the network or change your place of residence.
3. Wi-Fi is very convenient for use in places where it is unacceptable to lay a large amount of Internet cable. For example, these could be various kinds of museums, exhibition centers or exhibitions. All organizations of this type require competent organization of their work, and it is Wi-Fi technology that can provide them with this opportunity.

Among the main disadvantages are the following:

1. At the initial stage of organizing a Wi-Fi system, you should pay attention to all the architectural features of the selected building or specific room. Wi-Fi coverage must be available in all parts of the building. Who need it. Incorrect placement of routers may result in some areas of the room not being equipped with Wi-Fi.
2. All encryption algorithms available today for data transmitted via Wi-Fi are susceptible to hacking. Passwords can be easily hacked by a hacker by simply brute-forcing passwords (the so-called brute force). To find even the most complex password, a powerful hacking system will need time from several days to a month maximum.
3. The use of wireless access and Internet technology significantly reduces the life of one gadget charge. When transferring or downloading large amounts of data, the device may become very hot, which can damage the battery, processor, and power supply.

The spread of Wi-Fi in everyday life

Over the past twenty years, the Internet has become an integral part of people around the world. We spend most of our time on the Internet, communicating, having fun and working. It is thanks to the use of Wi-Fi coverage that the mobility of Internet use has increased significantly: it has become possible to access the global network from absolutely anywhere.

By installing Wi-Fi in your home, you save a lot because previously, in order to connect all your gadgets to the Internet, you had to run several Internet cables into the house. Now, for example, you can purchase one Wi-Fi router and connect an Internet cable to it. Thus, all gadgets that support connection to a Wi-Fi network have access to the Internet.

Small companies and large corporations use Wi-Fi coverage in their work. This technology is becoming available in almost every place: in cafes and restaurants, clinics, public transport, shopping centers, private apartments and houses. With Wi-Fi technology, online games from all over the world can instantly connect to the same server and play as quickly as possible, with virtually no data loss on both sides.

The influence of Wi-Fi networks on the human body

There is a theory that the waves emitted by Wi-Fi coverage have a detrimental effect on the nervous system and the human body as a whole. Experts are divided on this theory: some argue that radiation can cause changes in the body at the cellular level, others believe that Wi-Fi is not harmful.

The most accurate study on the effects of Wi-Fi on our body showed that the radiation affects us 10,000 times less than the radiation emitted by a regular microwave oven itself. Exposure from 25 routers at the same time is equivalent to exposure from one smartphone.

A person can receive stronger radiation from a computer monitor. These examples indicate that Wi-Fi carries a certain amount of radiation, but it is much less than other devices that we use every day. However, you should not neglect the basic safety rules: do not place the Wi-Fi router close to where you sleep and, if possible, turn it off at night.

Articles and Lifehacks

Such an interesting and useful thing as WI-FI was invented relatively recently - in 1991 in the Netherlands. At first the name sounded like HI-FI and stood for “ high accuracy" Over time, the name was rephrased to “ wireless precision" Now they have refused to decipher the invention; it is simply used with a short abbreviation. This access point is popular and indispensable in almost every corner of the world.

What is Wi-Fi on a mobile phone? This is a wireless connection to the Internet that occurs based on radio signals. That is, Wi-Fi itself is supplied to other devices using a router. The more people connect, the slower the data transfer rate.

Where to find Wi-Fi and how to connect to it

Often, many establishments provide a service such as a wireless network for free. Cafeterias attract busy people who dine and work online without looking away from their phones and laptops. For students, this is also a free salvation: download the abstract, print it out - and you’re ready for the seminar.

In such establishments it is easy to see an icon enticing with wireless Internet. It’s very easy to connect: you need to go to your phone’s settings, turn on WI-FI (in some it’s called “ WLAN"). After this you should go to " wireless network", a list of all devices that your phone can see and can connect will be displayed. There are networks that are password protected. You need to enter it, and access will be immediately allowed.

You can connect in various shopping centers, for example, as well as at home if a router is installed.

Pros and cons of wireless connection

On the plus side:

• The location does not matter - whether at home, office, favorite cafeteria.
• The scale of the zone, the ability to move.
• Low emissivity of the device.
• High data transfer, while saving mobile Internet.

Of the minuses:

• A password that restricts access to the network.
• If the access point exceeds 100 mW, then mandatory registration is required.
• Experienced hackers can easily crack the security.
• Phones that use only Wi-Fi have a short network range.
• The quality of the connection is affected by foreign objects (walls, furniture, vehicles).

While electronic devices were directly connected to wires, there was no talk of any mobility or ease of data transfer.

The use of radio channels has provided new opportunities, however truly effective solution began the use of radio channels for data transmission by digital technology.

The protocol itself, or coding scheme, was created at the Australian radio astronomy laboratory CSIRO back in 1998. It was developed by engineer John O'Sullivan.

The name “Wi-Fi” itself supposedly comes from a play on the words “High Fidelity,” although this clarification only appeared in the initial press releases.

With the release of technology to a wider audience, this purely professional formulation has lost its meaning, and now everyone knows only the common name Wi-Fi, which is no longer an abbreviation or abbreviation.

Like any wireless technology, the operating principle is based on transmission of radio waves invisible to the eye a certain range. In essence, exchanging digital information is very similar to talking over a walkie-talkie.

But a complex of digital transmitters is capable of transmitting colossal amounts of data, such as images, music and even streaming video in high definition, in seconds.

A standard network must include an access point and at least one client. One of the key benefits of wireless technology is the ability to connect more than just stationary equipment such as desktop computers, printers and fax machines. But also by combining mobile devices with them - smartphones, tablets, or equipment located in the next office - multimedia boards and projectors.

Standardization and universal acceptance of the Wi-Fi protocol made it possible to easily connect a wide variety of office and display equipment into a single network. In this case, the built-in modules of receivers and transmitters within the same network operate at identical frequencies with the same modulation of radio waves.

The frequency ranges at which transmission occurs are defined as 2.4 and 5 gigahertz. In the vast majority of countries, they are specifically allocated for equipment, broadcasting of which does not require a license.

The equipment that acts as an access point constantly broadcasts the network identifier through a set of corresponding data packets. The speed of such identification due to the tiny amount of data is 0.1 megabits per second.

The network identifier carries basic information about the name of the network, availability of access for data exchange and security. Of course, it happens that two or even several access points work with identical identifiers.

However, the receiver is able to distinguish between them based on minimal differences in signal strength. Within Wi-Fi technology, there is a wide range of options to choose from for setting up and protecting the connection.

Although many modern communication devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops, are capable of acting as an access point, the most widespread in the creation of wireless networks is specialized equipment - routers.

The reason for this is simple - the router is not a mobile device, it connects directly to the cable of the Internet provider. Proper placement of the device in combination with an extensive reception and transmission area within a radius of 50 to 100 meters allows you to establish efficient and uninterrupted Internet access and data exchange throughout the entire office center.

This is even more than enough for home networks. The channel width, or, more understandably, the data transfer rate for each connected device is divided equally. An inherent advantage of the Wi-Fi data transfer protocol is its enormous potential for development and improvement.

An extensive range of possible settings, updating to solve certain specific problems, allows you to adapt the technology to almost any task:

• provide stability or additional data protection
• guarantee high transfer speed
• provide a stable signal

All this, despite walls, partitions, high relative speeds, and considerable distances in rural areas. Constant improvement of the protocol has already become its characteristic feature and guarantee stable use of technology further.

In January 2014, in response to ever-increasing requirements for information transmission speed, the emergence of streaming television and Internet broadcasting in resolutions of 2000K or more required the implementation of the IEEE 802.11ac standard. Thanks to this, the data transfer speed has increased to several gigabits per second.

For the vast expanses of the countryside, the IEEE 802.22 standard has already been provided, which guarantees stable reception and transmission even at a distance of 100 km from the access point at a solid speed of 22 megabits per second.

At the dawn of the era of home Internet, everyone hid arrays of wires as best they could. They were “sewn” into the baseboard, fastened along the perimeter of the wall, and packed in dust bags. The computer desks even had special holes for pulling the network cable through. But with the popularization of Wi-Fi wireless technologies, the need to “encrypt” cables has disappeared.

A relatively new technology allows you to access the network “over the air”, provided you have an access point - a router or other device with similar functionality. People first started talking about what Wi-Fi is in 1991, when the standards were just being tested, and they only gained widespread popularity closer to 2010.

What is Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi is not the Internet as such, but a modern standard for data exchange between devices equipped with special radio modules. Wi-Fi modules are installed on the lion's share of electronics and equipment produced today. So, initially only wearable computers, mobile phones and handhelds were equipped with them, but recently cameras, printers and even multi-cookers have the ability to communicate with the global network and other devices.

A mandatory attribute to access the network via Wi-Fi is an access point. As usual, this role is played by a router - a device that looks like a compact box with antennas and a set of standard sockets for connecting wired Internet. The “box” itself is connected to the Internet via a twisted pair wire, and through antennas it “distributes” data received from the network and transmits to the network data transmitted from devices connected “over the air”.

In addition to the router, you can use a laptop, mobile phone or tablet as an access point. All these devices, as well as the increasingly popular mobile routers, must be connected to the global network via a mobile connection (SIM card with GPRS, 3G, 4G). The principle of data reception/transmission is the same as that of a wired router.

What is Wi-Fi for?

The primary “household” function of wireless access is to visit websites, download files and communicate over the network without the need to be wired to a specific point. Every year, cities are increasingly “covered” with access points available to everyone, so that in the near future, if you have a device with a radio module, you will be able to use the network in any city.

Radio modules can also be used to organize an internal network between devices. Lenovo, for example, has already made publicly available an application for mobile devices that allows you to exchange any type of files between gadgets via Wi-Fi, but without the need to connect to the Internet. The program creates a tunnel through which it transmits some information to the receiving side. When using the application, data exchange occurs tens of times faster than via Bluetooth. In the same way, a smartphone can play the role of a joystick in conjunction with a game console or laptop, or take on the functions of a remote control for a TV that works with Wi-Fi.

How to use Wi-Fi?

To forget about the web of wires at home or in the office, you need to purchase a router. You should connect the Internet access cable to the socket highlighted in color (usually yellow or white) and configure it according to the instructions. After that, on all devices that are equipped with a Wi-Fi module, you need to turn on the module, search for the network and connect.

Attention! The speed of Internet access through one access point is lower, the more devices are simultaneously connected to it. The speed is divided proportionally between all devices.

If your computer does not have a radio module, you can purchase one. The external radio module looks like a flash drive and is also connected via a USB interface. The average cost is around $10.

The Internet from a mobile device can be “distributed” through the “Access Point” option. Find the option in your phone or tablet settings and follow the step-by-step network setup.

Attention! When a mobile phone or tablet “distributes” the Internet, serving as an access point, it is better not to watch videos or listen to podcasts on it. The speed between the distributing and connected device is divided according to the residual principle, and only if the Internet is not actively used at the “access point”, the connected device can load sites at normal speed.

Wi-Fi technology allows you to access the network without being tied to an Internet cable. Any device equipped with a radio module that supports the Wi-Fi data transmission standard can be a source of wireless Internet. In this case, the signal propagation radius depends on the power of the access point antenna. Using Wi-Fi, you can not only connect to the Internet, but also transfer files and combine devices into a separate network.

Wi-Fi is a wireless-based technology that, thanks to radio signals, makes it possible to provide a network connection, that is, its purpose is to transmit information wirelessly. Answering the question: - what is Wi-Fi? .

History of the appearance and popularity of using this type of data transmission

Wi-Fi appeared relatively recently - in 1991, in the Netherlands, namely in the NCR Corporation / AT&T laboratory, which is located in Nieuwegein. The “father” of this technology, revolutionary at the time of its creation, is engineer Vic Hayes, who, in fact, developed the wireless data exchange protocol. Immediately after its creation, Wi-Fi began to be used to optimize the operation of cash service systems, and its creators did not even suspect what horizons this invention was expanding before them, nor did they attach importance to the prospects that had opened up. This, however, did not last long - the potential of the new product was revealed, and it itself, as expected, went to the masses, exciting the minds of users.

What exactly is Wi-Fi and how to use it?

Actually, what is Wi-Fi and how to use it, and how does it work? It all starts with an access point that has a radio module, which, in turn, is responsible for receiving and transmitting data. A similar module must be located in the computer from which the connection will be made. Through an access point, a computer or other device connects to the provider. It is most preferable to use this technology for connections over short and ultra-short distances - this is where the maximum connection speed is ensured, reaching approximately 54 Mbit/s.

The permissible distance of use depends on how powerful the router is connected by the user. In some cases, such a distance can reach as much as four hundred meters, which, however, is not particularly common.

Thus, the prevailing types of devices that provide this type of connection are an access point with a router and the ubiquitous wireless router.

Wi-Fi is now used for both private and commercial purposes - for example, many catering establishments have their own secure Internet network with spot coverage for their customers.

However, our world exists with the truth of lack of perfection, and therefore, even such a wonderful technology has both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages and disadvantages of Wi-Fi?

The main advantage is that there is no need for cables, which allows network coverage outdoors or in places such as buildings of historical value. The modern market offers hundreds of Wi-Fi devices from different manufacturers, which, however, do not have compatibility problems and can interact freely thanks to the same connection standards.

The disadvantages are also very significant and manifest themselves, first of all, in frequency and operational restrictions that vary from country to country - in some places, for example, low-frequency connections are prohibited. Also, the problems of such an existence include a very limited range of action.

However, the most serious drawback is security. The most popular WEP encryption standard can be cracked by an experienced user without any difficulty, which creates a fairly serious threat to the personal data of users of public networks.

Wireless network standards

As for modern Wi-Fi standards, there are now five of them:

• 802.11a;
• 802.11b;
• 802.11g;
• 802.11i;
• 802.11n.

802.11a and 802.11b are standards that have long been outdated, however, they continue to be used locally. They have mediocre connection speeds and an extremely low degree of security.

802.11g increased the speed by almost five times, and 802.11i seriously complicated third-party hacking attempts due to the use of more advanced security protocols. However, both of them are inferior to the 802.11n standard, the newest standard officially approved for use in Russia. It increases connection speeds up to 540 Mbps and uses the most advanced security protocols, making hacking attempts almost impossible.

To summarize, we can say what Wi Fi is. This is, first of all, an ambiguous and by no means universal technology for network data exchange, which is not without its drawbacks, however, it is certainly useful and, in a number of situations, seriously makes life easier for the modern user of high technologies.