Test Your Connection
Speed Now
Home > Internet Access > Wireless > How Does It Work

How Does Wireless Work

Wi-Fi (or WiFi, wifi), short for Wireless Fidelity, is a way of transmitting information in radio wave form. Wi-Fi is the wireless way to handle networking. It is also known as 802.11 networking and wireless networking. Wireless uses high frequency radio signals to transmit and receive data over distances of a few hundred feet and uses ethernet protocol. Ethernet is the most widely-installed local area network technology. An Ethernet LAN uses coaxial cable or special grades of twisted pair wires.

The big advantage of Wi-Fi is its simplicity. You can connect computers anywhere in your home or office without the need for wires. The computers connect to the network using radio signals and computers can be up to 100 feet apart.

How WLANs Work

A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) uses radio waves to communicate among devices. An access point (AP) with an antenna is physically connected to a conventional wired Ethernet network and serves as a bridge to the wireless network. In order to indicate its presence to wireless clients in its listening area, an AP announces itself by beaconing, or broadcasting a Service Set Identifier (SSID) approximately 10 times per second. The SSID identifies the name of the network. PCs that are within range and equipped with a wireless network interface card can receive the SSID, associate with the WLAN and request an IP address that will allow them to connect to the local network, surf the Internet, and view network folders.

What is a Wireless Network Made Of?

There are two kinds of wireless networks:

1. An ad-hoc or peer-to-peer wireless network consists of a number of computers each equipped with a wireless networking interface card. Each computer can communicate directly with all of the other wireless enabled computers. They can share files and printers.

2. A wireless network can also use an access point or base station.

What is The Range of a Wireless Network?

Typical indoor ranges are 150-300 feet, but can be shorter if the building construction interferes with radio transmissions. Longer ranges are possible, but performance will degrade with distance. Outdoor ranges are about 1000 feet.

How Many Wireless Networked Computers Can Use a Single Access Point?

Some hardware access points have a recommended limit of 10 with other, more expensive access points, supporting up to 100 wireless connections.

What is Roaming?

A wireless computer can roam from one access point to another, with the software and hardware maintaining a steady network connection by monitoring the signal strength from in-range access points and locking to the one with the best quality.

How Can I Use a Wireless Network to Share a Broadband Internet Connection?

To share an Internet connection across a LAN you need two things: an Internet sharing hardware device or software program and a LAN. You need a hardware or a software access point and a wireless LAN. Any computer equipped with a wireless network card can be used as a software access point.