Monday, October 25, 2010
6 Things You Didn’t Know about Wireless Internet
It seems as though everybody today has the ability to go wireless, no matter where they are or what they are doing. Wi-Fi is offered everywhere from coffee shops to airplanes, and is reaching new markets every day. Although everybody knows that Wi-Fi is the thing to have right now, few people know about its origin or the way it works. The following are just a few tidbits about the development of Wi-Fi.
1. Wi-Fi is a product first, and a name second
As many people know, the name Wi-Fi is short for “wireless fidelity.” This name suggests the trumping of “Hi-Fi,” or high fidelity, which for years was the high standard in audio equipment classification. While this name is catchy, shows evolution, and seems to make sense at first, it is also quite puzzling since audio equipment has nothing to do with wireless Internet.
“IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence” is the name of the technology we all know and love as “Wi-Fi.” Since IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence doesn’t seem to roll off the tongue, and since the abbreviation “IEEEDS” sounds like a cartoon character falling off a cliff, the alliance in charge of its creation hired an advertising firm to coin a new moniker. They discovered the name Wi-Fi, became the Wi-Fi alliance, and the rest is well-marketed history.
2. Wi-Fi is a brand name (sort of)
Since there was an alliance that created this technology and then subsequently named it, we must respect Wi-Fi as something of a brand name. Much like how all Kleenex is tissue but not all tissue is Kleenex, all Wi-Fi is wireless Internet technology, but not all wireless internet technology is Wi-Fi certified.
The Wi-Fi alliance certifies that products bearing the Wi-Fi name and logo meet its strict standards for performance, excellence, and safety. While electronics can connect wirelessly to the Internet without bearing the name Wi-Fi, the components involved were not checked by what is universally recognized as the industry standard.
This may have been done to save money in marketing or because the product in question throws off more radiation than a microwave. Whatever the reason, be careful when purchasing non-Alliance certified products.
3. Did you say more radiation than a microwave?
Yes, but it was a joke, so relax. In fact, radiation exposure is one of the most common fears associated with Wi-Fi.
In reality, the amount of radiation the body is subjected to due to Wi-Fi signals is the same as FM radio or television waves, and those have been floating through the air constantly for the last 80 years without incident.
What’s even more interesting is that Wi-Fi uses the same technology as most 2.4 GHz frequency cordless phones, which would arguably be much more dangerous since they are attached to people’s heads. Nevertheless, Wi-Fi tends to get all of the radioactive bad press.
4. Wi-Fi was cleared for launch in 1985…
In 1985, the FCC allowed researchers and developers to create products that could operate on radio frequencies higher or lower than the currently approved FM and television widths.
This ruling gave the green light to some of the technology we know and love today, such as cordless phones, Bluetooth, and CB radio.
5. Wi-Fi first took off in 1994
Long before the Alliance, the phrase “wireless fidelity,” or the smart phone, there was Carnegie Mellon.
Carnegie Mellon was the first university in the country to offer campus wide wireless Internet.
This setting seemed the ideal place to test launch an open-access network for connecting to the Internet, as the typical college campus is sprawling and would be difficult to hardwire.
By being the first school to try this radical experiment, Carnegie Mellon set a standard, as today nearly all universities offer wireless internet across campus, allowing for significantly easier teaching, learning, and playing World of Warcraft during classes.
6. America doesn’t lead the world in Wi-Fi technology
Although much of the technology responsible for the Wi-Fi revolution is full of home-grown American flavor, our ability to execute leaves a lot to be desired.
The top 10 fastest countries when it comes to average Internet speed are (in order), South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, Singapore, Luxembourg, Denmark and Norway. Rounding out the top 18 is the good old United States of America.
Although Wi-Fi is everywhere, there are many common facts about its history and origins that the average person doesn’t know. By educating yourself in the truth about Wi-Fi, you can ensure that you’ll be on the cutting edge of technology for the next 20 minutes, before something newer and faster becomes all the rage.
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