Wireless Internet

Wireless Internet refers to two different ways to connect to the Internet: 1) from a cell phone or PDA using WAP - Wireless Application Protocol - technology (which is not the topic of this website), and 2) from a laptop which connects to the Internet on a hot spot using the Wi-Fi protocol.

Wi-Fi Basics

In the past two years, Wi-Fi (also known as “802.11b”, “802.11g” and “802.11a”) has emerged as the dominant standard for wireless LANs (WLANS) worldwide, enjoying 100% global acceptance. Anyone can set up a Wi-Fi network and cover an area of typically 100-500 feet with wireless Internet access hundreds of times faster than a modem connection.

Hundreds of new companies have begun setting up Wi-Fi access points (called "hot spots") in cafes, hotels, airports, book stores and other public spaces. Wi-Fi is fast, 11 million bits per second (11Mb) and up, or over 100 times faster than a dial up connection. The actual wireless Internet access speed experienced by hot spot users is determined by the hot spot’s connection to the Internet, which can range from low-end DSL (384k) to one or more T1s (1.5Mb and up), but this still promises much faster speed than any other available technology.

Commercial Wi-Fi services are available in places such as Internet cafes, coffee houses and airports around the world. While commercial services attempt to move existing business models to Wi-Fi, many groups, communities, cities, and individuals have set up free Wi-Fi networks.

Operating systems such as Windows XP and Mac OS X automatically connect to an available wireless network, depending on the network configuration. Some laptops may require a wireless card to connect to the wireless network and access the Internet.

To find a wireless Internet service provider visit our wireless internet service providers page. There you can find a list of national wireless Internet service providers.

Advantages of Wireless Internet

1) Allows LANs to be deployed without cabling, typically reducing the costs of network deployment and expansion.
2) Wireless products are widely available in the market. Different brands of access points and client network interfaces are interoperable at a basic level of service.
3) Wireless technology Wi-Fi is a global set of standards. Unlike cellular carriers, the same Wi-Fi client works in different countries around the world.
4) Widely available in more than 250,000 public hot spots and millions of homes and corporate and university campuses worldwide.
5) As of 2006, WPA and WPA2 encryption are not easily crackable if strong passwords are used.
6) New protocols for Quality of Service (WMM) and power saving mechanisms (WMM Power Save) make Wi-Fi even more suitable for latency-sensitive applications (such as voice and video) and small form-factor devices.

Disadvantages of Wireless Internet

1) Power consumption is fairly high compared to some other standards, making battery life and heat a concern.
2) The most common wireless encryption standard, Wired Equivalent Privacy or WEP, has been shown to be breakable even when correctly configured.
3) Wi-Fi Access Points typically default to an open (encryption-free) mode. Novice users benefit from a zero configuration device that works out of the box but might not intend to provide open wireless access to their LAN.
4) Wi-Fi networks have limited range. A typical Wi-Fi home router using 802.11b or 802.11g with a stock antenna might have a range of 45 m (150 ft) indoors and 90 m (300 ft) outdoors.
5) Wi-Fi pollution, meaning interference of a closed or encrypted access point with other open access points in the area, especially on the same or neighboring channel.
6) Wi-Fi networks can be monitored and used to read and copy data (including personal information) transmitted over the network unless encryption such as WPA or VPN is used.