The era of modern computer technology has brought a revolution in the world. All information is now available at the tip of our fingers, and we can communicate with a person sitting on the opposite part of the world in a matter of a few mini seconds. That is how fast technology has got.
When the internet was introduced, it brought a revolution. But another communication technology that changed everything does not get enough credit.
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So in this article, we will be talking about the most revolutionary technical achievement of our times, that is, Wi-Fi. Do you know, What is Wifi, How Wifi Works, What is the Wifi full form, etc?
Table of Contents
What is Wifi?
Wi-Fi has been around for more than 20 years now. This highly advanced technology was developed in the late 1990s, with it being publicly introduced on 21 September 1998.
By definition, Wi-Fi is a wireless communication technology that makes the use of radio waves to provide wireless and high-speed internet and network connections. So any device connected to Wi-Fi is not using any physical connector like cables, instead, it is using radio frequencies to establish the connection.
What is the Full Form of Wifi?
This is a question that crosses the minds of a lot of people? What is the WiFi full form? But no one bothers to find it out, because the term Wi-Fi in itself is catchy.
A lot of people think that WiFi stands for “Wireless Fidelity”. But that is just a common misconception.
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In reality, Wi-Fi does not have any full form. This term was brought into use by the company because of its catchiness and resemblance to the word Hi-Fi.
But a lot of people have come to believe that it stands for Wireless Fidelity. Even some professionals think this.
In reality, Wi-Fi is just another name of IEEE 802.11x, which is a set of standards and protocols followed by this wireless communication technology.
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But there is another term that can be used in place of Wi-Fi, which is WLAN. WLAN, unlike Wi-Fi, is an acronym for Wireless Local Area Network.
I hope you very well understood What is Wifi Full Form?
Wifi Working
Working with Wi-Fi is not that hard to understand. Let us try and see. The basic principle of Wi-Fi is similar to that of other wireless devices like radios, cell phones, etc. But working is somewhat different.
The frequency range of WiFi is in Gigahertz, unlike those of radios, which are in kilohertz and Megahertz. As you all must be knowing, Hertz is the SI unit of frequency.
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There is a very important device that is used in a Wi-Fi network. This device is called a router. A router is set to transmit frequencies of range 2.42 – 2.472 GHz.
Let us understand a Wireless router. A Wireless router contains:
- Router
- Ethernet hub
- Firewall
- Wireless Access Point (WAP)
- Port to connect modem/cable.
So a router makes the use of wireless signals (radio frequencies) to establish a wireless connection between two or more devices. A regular LAN cable can be connected to the router, which in turn, produces a wireless connection that can be used by other devices to connect.
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The settings of a router can be changed after establishing a connection. Nowadays, these settings can be changed over the web. These settings include the name of the Wi-Fi, the password, and other security options.
Wifi Standards
New Wi-Fi standards and protocols have been introduced over the years. These standards govern the working of the router and other devices on a network.
There are some rules and networking protocols that are not very easy to be understood unless you’re a student who is studying Data Communication and Networks.
Every set of rules goes by some name consisting of alphabets, numeric values, and sometimes symbols. In the case of Wi-Fi, this set of rules is collectively known as 802.11. The 802.11ax or Wi-Fi 6 is the latest update in these standards.
Who Invented Wifi?
Wi-Fi was invented by radio-astronomer Dr. John O’Sullivan along with his colleagues Terence Percival, Graham Daniels, Diet Ostry, and John Deane.
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Advantages & Disadvantages of WIfi
Everything in the world has both pros and cons just like a coin has two sides. Wi-Fi also has some advantages and disadvantages which are listed below. Let us take a look at them.
Advantages of Wifi
- The biggest advantage of using a wireless network is its convenience. You do not have to connect a lot of cables and wires that cause a mess. Wi-Fi keeps everything clean and prevents mess. You can install Wi-Fi anywhere and use it.
- Wi-Fi is available in most places nowadays, so you can easily have access to the internet wherever you are in the world.
- It is very easy to install Wi-Fi at your home, a public place, or at workplaces as the deployment requires just one access point.
- A single router can help in connecting multiple devices to the internet, so you won’t have to bring multiple routers if you want to connect multiple people to the internet.
- Wireless connections have also become very cheap nowadays, so it won’t cost you much to install Wi-Fi at your home.
Disadvantages of Wifi
- One of the biggest issues with using Wi-Fi is the lack of security. Since multiple people gain access to the internet through the same access point, there are chances that someone works his way past the security holes to hack into your device and steal user information.
- The range of Wi-Fi is not much. A router can provide internet to not more than 10s of meters. To increase the range, more access points or repeaters are required.
- Wi-Fi does not offer a lot of speed in comparison to LAN cables. The typical speed provided by Wi-Fi ranges from 1 MBPS to 50 MBS, which is not much. While LAN provides a speed range of 100 MBPS to a couple of GBPS.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What Wi-FI stands for?
Ans: Wi-Fi does not stand for anything. It is just a term coined by the inventors to make this technology sound more catchy. Wi-Fi has another name which WLAN which stands for Wireless Local Area Network.
Q2. Who invented Wi-Fi and Why?
Ans: Wi-Fi was invented by radio-astronomer Dr. John O’Sullivan along with his colleagues Terence Percival, Graham Daniels, Diet Ostry, and John Deane. It was initially developed as a part of a CSIRO Project.
Q3. Which is better, Wi-Fi or the internet?
Ans: The question does not make any sense since Wi-Fi is used to connect devices to the internet. The question instead can be – “Which is better, Wi-Fi or LAN?”. And the answer to this question is huge since both have some advantages and disadvantages.
Q4. What equipment is required for Home Wi-Fi?
Ans: A modem is required to establish a connection with the internet, a router is required to catch the wireless signals and a wireless card (which is usually installed in devices like smartphones and laptops) is required to catch the signal transmitted by the router.
Q5. Can Wi-Fi cause Cancer?
Ans: This is a question that crosses our minds a lot of times. But there is little evidence that supports the theory that exposure to Wi-Fi leads to cancer.
Wi-Fi does transmit EMFs which can be absorbed by the body. But the amount of radiation is comparatively less than what comes from Cellphones. But the radiation is non-ionizing in nature, which means it cannot change our DNA structure and it cannot damage cells.
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