What you need to know about wireless networking (part 1)

Undoubtedly, wireless internet through technologies like Wifi has been one of the greatest conveniences of the 21st century. It has enabled devices like laptops and iPads to share a home’s high speed internet connection. But for some, it can be a source of headaches and confusion. Let’s break it down.

Wi-fi has rapidly evolved from when it first became prevalent in the early 2000′s. The IEEE, which sets the technical standards for Wifi in order to make sure that devices from different manufacturers has categorized devices that are Wifi compatible into letters based on the standard.

The most prevalent versions of Wifi in use today include:

B- Early version of Wifi seen in older devices. Offers slower data rates compared to modern versions.

G- Offers a higher speed and improvements in range over “B” systems.

N- Offers further speed improvements in addition to some security enhancements over previous versions.

AC- Latest version of Wifi, offers much higher speeds over previous versions and more available channels.

Now it’s important to take into account here, that although certain Wifi devices offer higher speeds, a slow or unreliable internet connection (such as phone company DSL) will be slow no matter how new your router and other equipment is.

Often, in company marketing and box advertisements for wireless equipment, you’ll see claims of speeds “up to” a relatively high data speed. Most often, this will not be the actual speed that you see in “real world” tests.

The speeds that internet providers and equipment makers will claim are “theoretical”. Those speeds were achieved under ideal, lab conditions with no interference or walls etc. Household obstacles, such as walls, metal objects and the distance from the router are all factors that can influence and decrease “real world” wifi performance.

You will most likely see slower speeds the further away you are from the router. Some poorly made routers, like those often included by your internet service providers can have older, slower versions of Wifi that can also limit your performance. Additionally, older laptops or other devices can negatively affect the performance of your other newer wireless equipment.

Often, upgrading your equipment can be one of the best ways to improve wifi coverage. Gavin Rozzi Technology offers a full range of wireless networking solutions to meet your wireless networking needs. Call us today at (609)-549-8050 for more information or visit us online.

This post is part of a series on Wireless Networking. In the second part, we will discuss differences in Wifi security and how this can affect your privacy.