How does wireless internet work?
Question by stephanie_dee24: How does wireless internet work?
Ok, I am talking basics here people. How does wireless internet work?
Do I need a phone line in my house to have wireless internet?
What is a “router?”
It’s confusing me… I can’t seem to find a dummies guide to wireless internet on the net at all! At the moment I am using just a standard broadband package, linked up to the phoneline and i’m good to go.
How different is wireless?
THANK YOU! in advance!
Oh and what is WIFI???
Best answer:
Answer by David R
http://h20239.www2.hp.com/techcenter/Wireless/index.htm
Add your own answer in the comments!
“Wireless” simply means that information is transmitted using RF (Radio Frequency) or Infrared signals through the air rather than through a physical cable.
In order for your computer to be able to communicate with wireless signals, it must have a wireless adapter (just like in order for you to receive phone calls, you need a phone plugged into a wall jack). Likewise, your computer needs a wireless signal (wireless access point) coming from somewhere in order for it to communicate. This is most commonly found in the form of a wireless router.
A router is a device that, believe it or not, actually “routes” packets of information from the Internet to your computers and vice versa. It’s not really important to know how they work, but that they’re used to connect a computer or multiple computers to the Internet. They also come in the wireless variety which means your computers don’t have to be attached at the hip with those silly cables (as long as your computer or laptop has a wireless adapter like I said above).
Wireless transmissions are different than cabled transmissions. They are generally slower and less secure. Compare a normal corded phone to a cell phone. Although you can bug a normal phone by physically inserting a device, cell phone transmissions are much easier to intercept. How? Because the signals are flying through the air. Same thing with wireless transmissions. Granted, computers and routers will generally encrypt the transmissions so they’re difficult to decipher, but it’s not impossible.
Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity and basically means the same thing as Wireless. The terms are used interchangably.
Unless you have a laptop you really don’t even need to go wireless.
It does depend on which kind of broadband you have which router you will need. Eg, if you are with Homecall for instance you will need a “Modem Router” as this will replace the USB modem you got when you signed up.
First you need to have a service provider that gives you the actual internet like DSL,Cable,Dial-up, most require a phone line(but you can still use your phone line).
A router is a device that is needed when you want to provide internet to more than one computer, if you only want internet on 1 computer you don’t need it. however if you want Wireless internet you most likely Will need a router.
Your service provider will give you a box called a modem, you connect the modem to a wireless router and it broadcasts the internet so any computer with a wireless network card will be able to use it.
The differences are that WiFi(which is just short for wireless internet) is a tiny bit slower and less dependable, also there most likely will be some configuring to do to the router and computer. And frankly if you don’t even know what a router is i HIGHLY suggest going to a retail store like bestbuy or somewhere and buying their service to come out and set everything up for you. That is your best bet.
a router takes your internet service provider’s connection and gives your computers access. wireless internet comes from a wireless router or other wireless device connected to your network that takes the connection coming in and makes a wireless network available for your computers to connect to. all a wireless network is is a network without wires. wifi is just a short way of saying wireless internet. most wireless routers will just plug up to your cable modem and with one button setup your network for you to use on your computer.
Several questions here. I’ll try to cover them all.
Wireless internet works by having a wireless router send signals to your wireless network card on your computer, and vice versa.
A router is a piece of equipment, which tends to cost $30-$150 dollars, that allows you to have multiple computer’s connected to a single broadband connection.
WiFi is short for wireless fidelity, a term used for a set of wireless standards for local coverage. Essentially it just means standard wireless.
I hope my answers cover what you needed to know.
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