Computers

Wifi

The advancements in technology have seen development of new standards of communication that not only offer speedy but also quality transmission. One such technology is Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity). This branded standard for the Wi-Fi alliance is used to connect various electronic devices without the use of cables. For example, devices like computers, digital players and cell phones with the Wi-Fi technology are able to connect to the internet through certain wireless access points. Each of these access points can have a range of roughly 20 meters.

Wi-Fi can be used to connect to a Local Area Network. For a personal computer to connect to the LAN using this technology, it must have a wireless network interface controller. If it has a controller, the computer is called a Wi-Fi station. The different stations within a LAN share the same radio frequency communication channel and thus receive the same channel. Wi-Fi uses a mechanism called best-effort delivery since there is no acknowledgment for the transmitted signal. All that the stations have to do in order to receive transmissions is tune in to the range. Devices that can receive Wi-Fi signals can also connect to the internet via wireless networks. The various access points for Wi-Fi internet are called hotspots.

Various cities in the world have city-wide Wi-Fi networks. The first city to offer Wi-Fi services free was California. In 2010, the mayor of London promised that by 2012 the city would follow suit. Most cities in the UK however offer partial Wi-Fi coverage to their residents. Universities like Oxford provide Campus-wide Wi-Fi which students find very helpful when transmitting data and connecting tot he internet. The Wi-Fi technology has also helped students establish direct computer-to-computer communications for collaborating during studies. However with all the benefits Wi-Fi brings it is also important to remember that this data transmission method has a limited reach and is very prone to interference.

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