WiFi comes from ‘Wireless Fidelity’, that is, ‘wireless fidelity’. It is a wireless data transmission technology used for the Internet –mainly- and which is based on the 802.11 standard. But what is it really, and how does it work? It is generally used in the workplace or home, for connecting devices in a local network, the details about its operation are much more complex and interesting than it might seem a priori.
Whenever possible, it is best to connect; by cable. It is the best guarantee of speed and stability; however, there are cases where only the WiFi connection is possible. And its advantage is precisely there, in that WiFi can go where the wired connection does not, just as it happens with mobile networks in relation to fiber optic broadband infrastructure. Furthermore, in terms of installation cost it is also cheaper than a wired network.
What is WiFi?
WiFi is a technology that allows; wireless connection between electronic devices , computers, smartphones, tablets, televisions, game consoles, this technology; arose from the need to establish a wireless connection that was compatible with different devices. Therefore, the goal d was to design a brand that would make it easier to promote wireless technology and ensure compatibility between devices.
How does the WiFi work?
The WiFi is based on radio waves, exactly like the radio itself, mobile telephony or television. Therefore, WiFi networks transmit information over the air using radio waves.
Now, the frequencies used for this wireless connectivity technology are different, specifically & nbsp; 2.4 GHz up to the 802.11 n standard and 5 GHz in< /strong>802.11 ac. Currently, although 5 GHz provides superior performance, both frequencies are used and, in addition, in higher performance equipment, data transfer on both bands is combined.
Therefore, when we are going to download a file or request certain information through a WiFi network, our router receives the data from the Internet through our connection and later converts it into radio waves. In this way, the router emits these waves and the wireless device that has requested the download of that file or information, captures and decodes them.
Now, these waves can be interrupted by certain interferences caused by other WiFi networks or by different electronic devices such as microwave ovens, refrigerators, televisions or cordless phones, among others. Hence, we always insist on analyzing well where we are going to place our router at home to have the best possible wireless connection and avoid certain interferences.
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, via an antenna, it transmits them ‘over the air’ . And a router, also wireless, which is responsible for receiving the signal and decoding 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 in reverse, when it is the ‘client’ the one that has to receive information from the Internet. The wireless router receives data that it translates into a radio signal and sends it to the wireless adapter. All this can happen in 2.4 or 5 GHz, as we mentioned before, and on the 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac standards. There is backward compatibility between standards of adapters and access points, and in the latest specifications it can be transmitted simultaneously in two bands for a higher speed in data transfer.
In Redecom Ingeniería , we work every day to present solutions according to the needs of our clients, with the added value of having certified personnel in the best brands in the market, such as Cisco, Zebra Technologies, Huawei, Ekahau, AirMagnet, Aruba, among others, which allows us to carry out comprehensive validated and certified projects so that your company has a secure and reliable wireless network.
