How Wifi Network Works

A Wi-Fi enabled device such as a PC, game console, mobile phone, MP3 player or PDA can connect to the Internet when within range of a wireless network connected to the Internet. The coverage of one or more interconnected access points — called a hotspot — can comprise an area as small as a single room with wireless-opaque walls or as large as many square miles covered by overlapping access points. Wi-Fi technology has served to set up mesh networks, for example, in London. Both architectures can operate in community networks.

In addition to restricted use in homes and offices, Wi-Fi can make access publicly available at Wi-Fi hotspots provided either free of charge or to subscribers to various providers. Organizations and businesses such as airports, hotels and restaurants often provide free hotspots to attract or assist clients. Enthusiasts or authorities who wish to provide services or even to promote business in a given area sometimes provide free Wi-Fi access. There are already more than 300 metropolitan-wide Wi-Fi (Muni-Fi) projects in progress. There were 879 Wi-Fi based Wireless Internet service providers in the Czech Republic as of May 2008.

Wi-Fi also allows connectivity in peer-to-peer (wireless ad-hoc network) mode, which enables devices to connect directly with each other. This connectivity mode can prove useful in consumer electronics and gaming applications. When wireless networking technology first entered the market many problems ensued for consumers who could not rely on products from different vendors working together. The Wi-Fi Alliance began as a community to solve this issue — aiming to address the needs of the end-user and to allow the technology to mature. The Alliance created the branding Wi-Fi CERTIFIED to reassure consumers that products will interoperate with other products displaying the same branding.

Many consumer devices use Wi-Fi. Amongst others, personal computers can network to each other and connect to the Internet, mobile computers can connect to the Internet from any Wi-Fi hotspot, and digital cameras can transfer images wirelessly. Routers which incorporate a DSL-modem or a cable-modem and a Wi-Fi access point, often set up in homes and other premises, provide Internet-access and internetworking to all devices connected (wirelessly or by cable) to them. One can also connect Wi-Fi devices in ad-hoc mode for client-to-client connections without a router. Wi-Fi also enables places which would traditionally not have network to be connected, for example bathrooms, kitchens and garden sheds. The "father of Wi-Fi", Vic Hayes, stated that being able to access the internet whilst answering a call of nature was "one of life's most liberating experiences".

As of 2007 Wi-Fi technology had spread widely within business and industrial sites. In business environments, just like other environments, increasing the number of Wi-Fi access-points provides redundancy, support for fast roaming and increased overall network-capacity by using more channels or by defining smaller cells. Wi-Fi enables wireless voice-applications (VoWLAN or WVOIP). Over the years, Wi-Fi implementations have moved toward "thin" access-points, with more of the network intelligence housed in a centralized network appliance, relegating individual access-points to the role of mere "dumb" radios. Outdoor applications may utilize true mesh topologies. As of 2007 Wi-Fi installations can provide a secure computer networking gateway, firewall, DHCP server, intrusion detection system, and other functions.

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A Wi-Fi enabled device such as a PC, game console, mobile phone, MP3 player or PDA can connect to the Internet when within range of a wireless network connected to the Internet. The coverage of one or more interconnected access points — called a hotspot — can comprise an area as small as a single room with wireless-opaque walls or as large as many square miles covered by overlapping access points. Wi-Fi technology has served to set up mesh networks, for example, in London. Both architectures can operate in community networks.

In addition to restricted use in homes and offices, Wi-Fi can make access publicly available at Wi-Fi hotspots provided either free of charge or to subscribers to various providers. Organizations and businesses such as airports, hotels and restaurants often provide free hotspots to attract or assist clients. Enthusiasts or authorities who wish to provide services or even to promote business in a given area sometimes provide free Wi-Fi access. There are already more than 300 metropolitan-wide Wi-Fi (Muni-Fi) projects in progress. There were 879 Wi-Fi based Wireless Internet service providers in the Czech Republic as of May 2008.

Wi-Fi also allows connectivity in peer-to-peer (wireless ad-hoc network) mode, which enables devices to connect directly with each other. This connectivity mode can prove useful in consumer electronics and gaming applications. When wireless networking technology first entered the market many problems ensued for consumers who could not rely on products from different vendors working together. The Wi-Fi Alliance began as a community to solve this issue — aiming to address the needs of the end-user and to allow the technology to mature. The Alliance created the branding Wi-Fi CERTIFIED to reassure consumers that products will interoperate with other products displaying the same branding.

Many consumer devices use Wi-Fi. Amongst others, personal computers can network to each other and connect to the Internet, mobile computers can connect to the Internet from any Wi-Fi hotspot, and digital cameras can transfer images wirelessly. Routers which incorporate a DSL-modem or a cable-modem and a Wi-Fi access point, often set up in homes and other premises, provide Internet-access and internetworking to all devices connected (wirelessly or by cable) to them. One can also connect Wi-Fi devices in ad-hoc mode for client-to-client connections without a router. Wi-Fi also enables places which would traditionally not have network to be connected, for example bathrooms, kitchens and garden sheds. The "father of Wi-Fi", Vic Hayes, stated that being able to access the internet whilst answering a call of nature was "one of life's most liberating experiences".

As of 2007 Wi-Fi technology had spread widely within business and industrial sites. In business environments, just like other environments, increasing the number of Wi-Fi access-points provides redundancy, support for fast roaming and increased overall network-capacity by using more channels or by defining smaller cells. Wi-Fi enables wireless voice-applications (VoWLAN or WVOIP). Over the years, Wi-Fi implementations have moved toward "thin" access-points, with more of the network intelligence housed in a centralized network appliance, relegating individual access-points to the role of mere "dumb" radios. Outdoor applications may utilize true mesh topologies. As of 2007 Wi-Fi installations can provide a secure computer networking gateway, firewall, DHCP server, intrusion detection system, and other functions.

How to Secure Your Wireless Network Connection

If you subscribe to DSL or cable internet service the chances are good that you are using a wireless router. How secure is your wireless router? I will explain in this article what steps to you need to take to insure that you have the most secure home network that's possible. Have you ever gone to "My Network Places" in Windows and viewed all your neighbors' wireless network connections? You will notice that some say secure and some say unsecure. Well you want to make sure that yours' says secure. This is the first step in securing your wireless network connection.

Your first line of defensive is your wireless routers' data encryption. Basically your router takes your data and encodes it so that no one else can intercept your data. Usually the manufactures' default encryption setting is set to off.

The first thing to do is to log into your wireless router (see instruction guide for your router) and go to wireless settings and turn on encryption. There are two forms of encryption WEP which is older and easy to crack and WPA which is the more secure encryption. If your router has a WPA2 encryption then use this one as it is the most recent version. Always use a strong password for your encryption key. A combination of upper and lower case letters and numbers will do the job nicely.

As an added security precaution always use your router's built in firewall. Refer to your router owner's manual on the various settings that are offered. What a firewall will do is prevent any unauthorized internet hackers from accessing your pc. As an added precaution you can also add a software base firewall which will offer many advance settings that may not be found in your router's firewall.

As an added precaution whenever you are not using your computer you can disconnect from the internet by right clicking on windows network icon connection in the bottom right of your task bar and select disable. If you have firewall software installed on your pc, your software will have a similar feature.

One more topic I want to cover and that is public Wi-Fi Hotspots.
Whenever you are in a public area like an airport, bus terminal, public library or any place where there may be a Wi-Fi Hotspot you need to take some precautions.

Make sure that your pc's software firewall is turned on and that your windows file sharing is turned off.
Never use the internet to log into your bank account or any other service that requires the use of passwords. You need to take this precaution to make sure your Wi-Fi connection is not being monitored to record your keystrokes.

Always turn off your Wi-Fi radio when you are not at a Wi-Fi hotspot. This will prevent hackers from using your pc to create a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection and accessing it directly.If you follow these few simple steps you will have a much more secure pc connection and less of a chance of being hacked into and having personal information stolen. As always nothing is 100% secured but these steps will give you much better security than what you had.