Wi-Fi is a wireless networking technology using radio waves. It connects devices to the internet and to each other without cables. A router broadcasts a signal. Devices with Wi-Fi chips connect to it. The technology is ubiquitous. Homes, offices, cafes, airports, and trains all have Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi uses unlicensed radio bands, mostly 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. A newer band at 6 GHz is called Wi-Fi 6E. Higher frequencies carry more data but have shorter range. Wi-Fi standards have evolved: 802.11b, g, n, ac, ax. Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 offer faster speeds and better handling of many devices.

Key concepts

• SSID: network name
• Password: WPA2 or WPA3 security
• Band: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz
• Channels: avoid interference
• Mesh: multiple access points for coverage

Wi-Fi is not the same as internet. You can have Wi-Fi without internet, like a local file server. You can have internet without Wi-Fi, like a wired connection. Wi-Fi is the wireless link. The internet is the destination.