WiFi
Computer Science: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 5.1.12
WiFi
WiFi is a set of protocols that define how network devices can communicate wirelessly over radio waves.
Definition of WiFi
- The official name of WiFi is IEEE 802.11x.
- IEEE 802.11x defines several rules such as:
- What frequency should the radio waves be?
- How powerful should the transmitter be?
- How can data be secured?
- What should happen if data is lost in transmission?
WiFi standards
- There are many different WiFi standards which operate at different speeds. For example:
- 802.11g operates at 54Mb/s.
- 802.11n operates at 600Mb/s.
- 802.11ac operates at 3.2Gb/s.
Compatibility
- By creating devices which use the same standards, we can guarantee that devices from different manufacturers will be compatible.
Test yourself on WiFi
What is the official name for WiFi?
What does the WiFi standard define?