WHAT IS WI-FI?

Wi-Fi is a trade-group certified wireless networking standard that rellies on the IEEE 802.11a and 802.11b specifications.

The 802.11b spec allows for the wireless transmission of approximately 11 Mbps of raw data at indoor distances from several dozen to several hundred feet and outdoor distances of several to tens of miles as an unlicensed use of the 2.4GHz band.

The 802.11a spec uses the 5GHz band , and can handle 54 Mbps at typically shorter distances. The distances for both standards depends on impediments, materials, and line of sight.

The 802.11b specification started to appear in commercial form in mid-1999, with Apple Computer’s introduction of its Airport components, manufactured in conjunction with Lucent’s Wave LAN division.

Wi-Fi is an extension of wired Ethernet, bringing the same principles to wireless communication, and as such is ecumenical about the kinds of data that pass over it. It’s primarily used for TCP/IP , but can also handle other forms of networking traffic , such as AppleTalk of PC file sharing standards.

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