WiFI is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance organization.
WiFi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance (an organization that adopts and certifies equipment that meets the 802.11 wireless local area network standards ). The Wi-Fi Alliance was known as WECA ( Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance ) until 2003 .
The objective behind the WiFi brand is to promote wireless connections and facilitate the compatibility of different devices . All products with WiFi connectivity have their interoperability certified.
The name WiFi, also known as Wi-Fi , was created by the Interbrand agency, also responsible for the development of terms such as Prozac and Compaq . WECA's intention was to establish a name that was easy to remember. Over time, many associated WiFi with Wireless Fidelity .
WiFi standards
Nowadays, WiFi certified standards are very popular around the world. This growth threatens the availability of the radio spectrum, especially when connections must be made more than 100 meters away (which increases the risk of interference).
One of the main defects attributed to WiFi connectivity is its poor security . There are, however, various encryption protocols that allow data transmission to be encoded and guarantee its confidentiality.
The infrastructure of a WiFi connection includes access points ( remote transmitters), routers (which receive the signal issued by the telephone operator) and reception devices (USB, PCI or PCMCIA cards ).
The popularity of WiFi allows anyone who has a laptop with the necessary components to access a wireless network to enter a large number of hotels or restaurants and connect to the Internet with their own equipment.
In recent years, there has been considerable growth in the adoption of the WiFi standard by users of all levels, in all parts of the world. It is true that it has great potential; However, as with any other technology, it also comes with a series of problems.
WiFi standards promote wireless connectivity.
Your advantages
Without a doubt, the strong point of this technology is the absence of cables: it is a type of connection that can join an endless number of devices with various characteristics (such as a video game console, telephones and televisions) avoiding users the headaches associated with searching and acquiring the right cable for each of them.
WiFi networks are especially useful in cases that do not support the use of cables; That is why they are widely used in conference rooms and international exhibitions and are also ideal for buildings considered historical monuments, where it would be unacceptable to carry out the wiring necessary for Internet use and a wireless connection is needed.
In many cities, there are free hotspots in public places such as parks, shopping malls, subway stations, and airports. Simply have a device with a WiFi Internet connection and tell it to search for available open networks to then establish communication with a webcam, share messages on social networks , enjoy streaming music or even fulfill teleworking obligations.
Although public Wi-Fi is usually used from notebooks or phones, it is important to indicate that this type of wireless connection can also be used from a desktop computer . This is useful in a home or office where equipment is installed far from the router and using cables may be inconvenient or impractical.
There are people who take advantage of the WiFi connection to have fun with online games.
Disadvantages of WiFi
The quality of the connection is the result of a series of factors, such as the electromagnetic radiation generated by household appliances, and this directly affects the transmission speed. Despite its global standardization, many devices from different brands are not completely compatible with WiFi technology, which also affects speed.
Its radius of action is limited, making it especially useful for home connections. However, it is necessary to clarify that the same router offers a much more stable transmission and with a much greater range outdoors than in a home, due to the aforementioned Wi-Fi interference mentioned in the previous paragraph.
The proximity of one access point to another, on the other hand, can affect the quality of communication ; This is especially true in buildings where many people use this technology simultaneously.
Regarding cybersecurity , it is important that the network is protected. When sharing files on a public network, it is possible to suffer a cyber attack; Therefore, it is always advisable to set a strong password to minimize the risk of intrusion into connected devices (which may also be protected by a firewall) and phishing.
A home network or a business network, therefore, always has to have a Wi-Fi password. This is a simple measure that reinforces network security and does not affect the upload speed or download speed in any way.