If you have just come back home from one of the many electronics shops with a brand new laptop and wondered what the term Wi-Fi is, you're not alone. Wi-Fi is a term that many people use in their everyday lives but might not know the meaning of. Wi-Fi is used to describe wireless networking. Simple as that, really. It's a way of connecting your computer to the internet, no matter where you are.
Wi-Fi or wireless networking is used to connect computers or technological devices such as iPhones or tablets that can access the internet. It's also referred to as 802.11 networking. The 802.11 networking designation comes from the IEEE. IEEE stands for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The IEEE is who sets all the standards for technological protocols. The technological protocols are classified through a numbering system. Hence 802.11 networking. No one really likes saying they're using someone's 802.11 network to access the internet which is why people simply refer to it as Wi-Fi. So, the next time you wamt to surf online and want to look cool accessing Wi-Fi internet, don't use the term 802.11 networking.
Wi-Fi technology has really taken off in recent years. It used to be that if you bought a laptop, there weren't too many places you could take it and still be able to check your e-mail or surf the web. No one ever used to bring their laptop on vacation with them. Since the advent of Wi-Fi and wireless networking, it's hard not to find Wi-Fi hotspots. Wireless networking is everywhere. The library, hotels, the airport. Don't forget about internet cafes. Pretty much all coffee shops nowadays are Wi-Fi compatible. It's not hard to walk around the city and see people hunched over their laptops while enjoying their cafe mocha.
Whether you need to look up information about product reviews or to find out the score of last night's game, Wi-Fi lets you do such things. You might not know the technological details of how Wi-Fi works but it's kind of like how a two-way radio works. Wi-Fi networks communicate with each other though radio waves, like cell phones or television sets. A wireless router takes data sent from your computer's wireless adapter and decodes it. That information is then sent to the internet through an ethernet connection. Or vice versa. It might seem a little complicated to tech newbies but it's fairly simple to comprehend.
All that matters to you when you turn on your computer is that you're connected to a wireless network, whether it's to get information about theme parks in Orlando (find more here) or researching your options after getting a personal injury from an accident while commuting to work one day. (Find more information at TPILawyers.com)
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