Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is a family of <a href="/facts/Wireless_network/yr4SWTdl">wireless network</a> protocols based on the <a href="/facts/IEEE_802.11/ryEGu6Vq">IEEE 802.11</a> family of standards, which are commonly used for <a href="/facts/Wireless_LAN/ooq0WA45">local area networking</a> of devices and <a href="/facts/Internet/Xw1rVvJU">Internet</a> access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by <a href="/facts/Radio_wave/LzrVhgbn">radio waves</a>. These are the most widely used computer networks, used globally in <a href="/facts/Small_office%2fhome_office/3aub8CPG">home and small office networks</a> to link devices and to provide <a href="/facts/Internet_access/EMbwSrnK">Internet access</a> with <a href="/facts/Wireless_router/E1ye7RVV">wireless routers</a> and <a href="/facts/Wireless_access_point/701JjIzt">wireless access points</a> in public places such as coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, libraries, and airports.
Wi-Fi is a trademark of the <a href="/facts/Wi-Fi_Alliance/wLKqvvJW">Wi-Fi Alliance</a>, which restricts the use of the term "Wi-Fi Certified" to products that successfully complete <a href="/facts/Interoperability_Solutions_for_European_Public_Administrations/4doJExoI">interoperability</a> certification testing. Non-compliant hardware is simply referred to as <a href="/facts/WLAN/ooq0WA45">WLAN</a>, and it may or may not work with "Wi-Fi Certified" devices. As of 2017, the Wi-Fi Alliance consisted of more than 800 companies from around the world. As of 2019, over 3.05 billion Wi-Fi-enabled devices are shipped globally each year.
Wi-Fi uses multiple parts of the <a href="/facts/IEEE_802/yKy0UEJI">IEEE 802</a> <a href="/facts/Communication_protocol/5uady7cB">protocol</a> family and is designed to work well with its wired sibling, <a href="/facts/Ethernet/nMfhU8tU">Ethernet</a>. Compatible devices can network through <a href="/facts/Wireless_access_point/701JjIzt">wireless access points</a> with each other as well as with wired devices and the Internet. Different versions of Wi-Fi are specified by various <a href="/facts/IEEE_802.11/ryEGu6Vq">IEEE 802.11</a> protocol standards, with different radio technologies determining radio bands, maximum ranges, and speeds that may be achieved. Wi-Fi most commonly uses the 2.4 gigahertz (120 mm) <a href="/facts/UHF/S6XDUaDY">UHF</a> and 5 gigahertz (60 mm) <a href="/facts/Super_high_frequency/Bqrg4fcy">SHF</a> radio bands, with the 6 gigahertz SHF band used in newer generations of the standard; these bands are subdivided into multiple channels. Channels can be shared between networks, but, within range, only one transmitter can transmit on a channel at a time.

Wi-Fi's radio bands work best for <a href="/facts/Line-of-sight_propagation/w4xfQd2o">line-of-sight</a> use. Common obstructions, such as walls, pillars, home appliances, etc., may greatly reduce range, but this also helps minimize interference between different networks in crowded environments. The range of an access point is about 20 m (66 ft) indoors, while some access points claim up to a 150 m (490 ft) range outdoors. Hotspot coverage can be as small as a single room with walls that block radio waves or as large as many square kilometers using multiple overlapping access points with <a href="/facts/Roaming/SEfznzxD">roaming</a> permitted between them. Over time, the speed and <a href="/facts/Spectral_efficiency/GaePAvv9">spectral efficiency</a> of Wi-Fi has increased. As of 2019, some versions of Wi-Fi, running on suitable hardware at close range, can achieve speeds of 9.6 Gbit/s (<a href="/facts/Gigabit/X71SBDuf">gigabit</a> per second).

Wi-Fi open-in-new

Wi-Fi