Wi-fi explained
Wireless hotspots are spreading
across the
What is wi-fi?
Wi-fi is the
acronym for Wireless Fidelity, essentially a set of standards for transmitting
data over a wireless network.
Wi-fi allows
you to connect to the net at broadband speeds without cables, as long as you
have the right equipment and, in most cases, a regular internet service
provider and a wi-fi account.
To
understand the technology behind wi-fi, imagine using a walkie-talkie. Your
voice is picked up by a microphone, encoded onto a radio frequency and
transmitted with the antenna to another walkie-talkie, which decodes your
voice.
Wi-fi works
in broadly in the same way, but using a better radio that is capable of
handling a lot more data per second.
1: Wi-fi uses
antennas around which wi-fi "hotspots" are created. The hotspots are
outlets equipped to receive the radiowaves that power wireless networking.
Until recently, wi-fi has been confined to more than 10,000 hot-spots in cafes,
bars and airport lounges. But various projects are under way to set up
city-wide zones, where a series of antennas are installed in the streets, on
lampposts or street signs. The hotspots around them together create a much
wider area of coverage.
2: The source
internet connection is provided by a PC or server to which the antennas are
connected either wirelessly or via a cable.
3: Some mobile
phones and personal digital assistants (PDA) now have wi-fi chips installed.
With mobile phones, this means conventional networks can be bypassed and
inexpensive long-distance calls made over the web (using Voice over Internet
Protocol, VoIP).
4: Many laptops
and handheld computers now come with built-in wi-fi connectivity; it is also
possible to add wi-fi to your computer with a special card that plugs into a
port on your laptop.
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How do I use a giant wi-fi zone?
In the
Wi-fi-enabled laptops and phones can
be set up to connect to these hotspots automatically; usage is generally paid
through a credit card at a login page on a web browser. Frequent users may even
have accounts with service providers such as T-Mobile, BT Openzone, O2,
SkypeZones and Nintendo wi-fi.
Will it catch on?
So far,
wi-fi has been a service that is most useful for business people who need to
work on the move; but operators want to make it available to all.
However,
some analysts warn that wi-fi could be the "next dotcom crash",
mainly because of patchy hotspot coverage, lack of enabled hardware and
uncertainty over how to make money.
There are
still a few big challenges ahead for wi-fi. Finalising interoperability and
standards is one, and the concern over security is another.
Just because
there are more than 10,000 wi-fi hotspots in the
In
Logging on
to the internet via wi-fi in different locations brings the risk (just as it
does at home or in the office) of your computer being infected by computer
viruses and worms. Experts advise you to install security software and update it
regularly.
Who stands to profit?
Some critics
argue that wireless hotspots can be a rip-off - the price of installing a
wireless router in, say, a coffee shop, involves a one-off cost of a few
hundred pounds but customers may be charged upwards of £5 an hour.
Users of the
new city-wide wi-fi networks will be required to pay access charges to an
account provider, such as BT Openzone or T-Mobile.
The revenues
will be shared between the owners of the street furniture on which the
equipment is installed (usually local councils), wi-fi hotspot suppliers and
the internet service providers.