Wi-Fi is a wireless network technology that utilizes radio waves for its functional connectivity. To establish a Wi-Fi connection, a wireless adapter which are fundamental in creating Wi-Fi hotspots. Hotspots are areas in which there is accessibility of a wireless router that is connected to the wi-fi network and can allow users to gain access to internet services. Just like in mobile phone systems, wi-fi networks uses radio waves to transfer and make communications across and within a network. The communicating devices should therefore have wireless adapters that is able to translate the data that is sent into radio signals. The very signal is transmitted through an antennae to a router, which is a decoder and once the data is decoded then it is sent to the internet via a wired Ethernet connection (Raman & Chebrolu, 2007).
To configure a wi-fi network, one has to have the network id. This shows the available hotspots available for connection. Then, if the wi-fi hotspot is encrypted/protected, it is a requirement that one should have the password or the encryption code to access the network (Raman & Chebrolu, 2007).
However, wi-fi networks have their fair share of merits and demerits. One of the major merits of a wi-fi network is in its simplicity for it needs no interconnectivity cabling. In addition they can easily merge numerous devices simultaneously. The mobility possible with wi-fi networks is interesting and makes them more productive in that users can access internet services even outside their usual working stations and maintain a close affiliation to their network of choice as they navigate from one location to the other without much interruption. It is easier to expand the usability of wireless networks. Also, wireless networks are cheap and cut down the cost for apart from routers they have very little physical hardware and installations (Raman & Chebrolu, 2007).
However, wi-fi networks have some demerits, one of them being speed. The speed of wi-fi networks is far slower compared to wired networks. Also, securing your wi-fi networks may also be a challenge since available wireless networks users may choose to utilize some of the encryption technologies available. Wi-fi networks also use radio frequency transmission which are prone to wide variety of interference, as well as complex propagation effects that are beyond the control of the network administrators. Wi-Fi are therefore less-reliable and have a problem with range in that they can’t cover wide ranges, and if they have to more costs in form of repeaters have to be incurred (Raman & Chebrolu, 2007).
Reference
