WiFi.com - Your Wireless Internet Technology Resource

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is wifi?
What is 802.11xx?
What is the Wi-Fi Alliance?
What is muni-wifi?
What is wimax?
What is an access point?
What is a router?
What is a hotspot?
Which cities offer muni-wifi?
Why are some wifi hotspots free and some wifi hotspots not free?
Are there campground wifi hotspots? If so, where are they?
How do I get wifi?
Where is wifi available?
What is the difference between wifi and a wireless home network?
Can my neighbor use my wireless network?
How do I secure my wireless home network?
Is wifi different from state-to-state or country-to-country?
Do I need wifi?
What can I do with wifi?
Is wifi going to be relevant in five years?
What is the difference between wifi and Bluetooth?
Does the weather affect wifi?
Disclaimer/Ask a question

What is wifi?
Wi-Fi is a general term, which typically refers to “wireless fidelity.” The term itself was trademarked by the Wi-Fi Alliance for the purposes of certifying products which use wifi technology. The term “wifi” is most often used in conjunction with wireless Internet networking. In other words, it is a way to access the Internet or a network without the use of cables or wires allowing for truly mobile technology.
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What is 802.11xx?
Wi-Fi technology is based on using radio frequencies to transmit data. The data is transmitted using different techniques to split or spread the data over multiple frequencies. This allows for more rapid transmission speeds and larger data sizes to be transferred. Skimming through a technical document explaining 802.11 left our heads spinning, so take our word for it. Or don’t, we wont be offended.
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What is the Wi-Fi Alliance?
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a technical group, which is responsible for certifying products as wi-fi ready. If a manufacturer of a wifi product wishes to have their products qualify as “wifi,” then the Wi-Fi Alliance guidelines are utilized to meet those qualifications. If a product does not meet Alliance specifications then it is not certified. For more information on the Wi-Fi Alliance and certification procedures please visit: www.wi-fi.org
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What is muni-wifi?
Muni-wifi or Municipal wi-fi is a newer trend in which large mesh networks of wifi are provided over a large geographical area. Simply put, cities or metropolitan areas are covered with a wifi signal so wireless Internet is accessible over large areas – in some cases whole cities or counties.
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What is wimax?
Based upon the same technology as wifi, wimax offers larger coverage areas with greater bandwidth and speeds compared to wifi. In many cases municipal wifi networks are being created with a combination of wimax and wifi. Wimax works on radio band 802.16, while wifi is 802.11. Don’t ask us what this means, we don’t know.
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What is an access point?
An access point is a specific location in which an end user can access the Internet – as it relates to wifi – accessing the Internet wirelessly.
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What is a router?
A router is a piece of hardware, which can redirect an Internet signal to multiple end users. There are two main types of routers; wired and wireless. A wireless router transmits the Internet signal to the end users using wifi technology – data over radio frequencies.
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What is a hotspot?
A hotspot is an area of about 100-500 feet in diameter in which an end user can access a wireless Internet signal. Think of it as if you were inside a large circle. If you walk outside of the circle you lose the signal. The signal gets weaker the farther you walk from the access point – the hotspot.
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Which cities offer muni-wifi?
There are many cities and counties which have deployed a wimax or wifi mesh network. In some cases these networks are only accessible to government agencies and are not available to the public. However, there are many networks being deployed across the U.S. and abroad which are and will become available to the end user, you and me! For an up-to-date list of currently known and planned muni-wifi networks please visit our community: Muni-WiFi Networks
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Why are some wifi hotspots free and some wifi hotspots not free?
The simple answer is some entities absorb the cost of a wifi network because of the benefits of having the network in place: i.e. coffee shop free wifi = customers buying coffee and other locations provide the service as a benefit to their users for a few i.e. hotels, airports etc. and the like charge a nominal fee for the convenience. In general wifi networks are inexpensive to build and maintain and the value of the network, great data transfer and high speed, means lower prices to the consumer.
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Are there campground wifi hotspots? If so, where are they?
Yes, there are many campgrounds and RV stop locations which offer wifi. Your best bet is to research the campsites you may visit and contact them directly for information regarding their wireless Internet capabilities. Soon, the WiFi.com hotspots database will list some of these locations.
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How do I get wifi?
You can build a home wireless network using your current Internet Service Provider connection (using a wireless router) – or just hijack your neighbors wifi network (WiFi.com does not support or condone this behavior). You can obtain free or pay for service through a wireless Internet provider and connect at a “hotspot.” You can also connect via municipal wifi network, which in most cases is pay for service. In all cases you will need a wireless network interface card or a wireless NIC. This will allow your computer to send and receive wireless signals to and from the Internet. Most new laptops come ready to go with one of these puppies. The questions you should be asking yourself are, “When do I need a wireless Internet connection?” and “How often will I use it?”
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Where is wifi available?
Currently wifi is available just about everywhere. If a connection to the Internet can be made, then wifi is available. Now, if you wish to have a home-based wireless Internet connection you will either build it yourself or have the Internet Service Provider install it – many cable companies now offer this. If you wish to access the Internet wirelessly from a location outside the home, we recommend looking up wifi zones listed in our hotspots database. There are also many city-wide or large-area networks (muni-wifi) going up in the U.S. and around the world.
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What is the difference between wifi and a wireless home network?
The term is loosely used to refer to the same type of technology and they are often interchangeable. Wifi refers more to the actual technology used and transportation of the data, the network end of things is used to refer to setting up access points and the like. Home networks are just a smaller scale network set up for home use.
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Can my neighbor use my wireless network?
Legally, no. If you allow your neighbor to use the connection then you are in direct violation of your Internet Service Providers terms of service. If your neighbor is knowingly hijacking your wifi network, then he or she is stealing from you. The latter is possible and likely probable if you are running an unsecured wireless network. The act of hijacking a wireless Internet connection is called "wardriving."
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How do I secure my wireless home network?
There are settings on your router, which allow you to protect your Internet connection from being hijacked. You should refer to the manual of the router for specific direction on how to do so and of course changing the default router password is a must. The most common way to secure a wireless connection is to use WEP – which is an encryption and requires a key to access the wireless network. You could also try installing lead walls around the house (not recommended).
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Is wifi different from state-to-state or country-to-country?
No. WiFi is a universal technology. Radio, is radio, is radio. This means you can use your wifi-enabled gear anywhere in the world wifi is offered.
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Do I need wifi?
This is a multi-faceted question with an answer that is not the same for everyone. If you are on the go, use computers in many parts of your home, have a laptop, or feel you could get good use out of a wireless Internet connection, then wifi is probably for you.
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What can I do with wifi?
You can connect to the Internet without the use of cables or wires. Think of anything under that umbrella and the possibilities are endless.
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Is wifi going to be relevant in five years?
In some way, shape, or form, yes. The technology is being upgraded consistently and the value will become more evident as municipal areas get connected with wireless networks. The end result will be lower cost Internet connections with broadband-like speeds which can be used anywhere. This technology will be even more relevant five years from now.
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What is the difference between wifi and Bluetooth?
In general there are no really big differences between the two. The biggest point of difference lies in the fact “wi-fi” relates to a certain set of specifications outlined by the Wi-Fi Alliance – hardware certified to be wifi. Bluetooth also has a set of specifications, however, outlined by the Bluetooth Special Interests Group (Toshiba, Nokia, Ericsson, and Intel). Both wifi and bluetooth refer to transferring data wirelessly, via radio signals.
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Does the weather affect wifi?
The short answer is, yes but to varying degrees. Weather has a knack for affecting just about anything. Unlike a satellite system, however, wifi is a short range transferring technology so weather generally has little to no effect on a wifi connection unless of course power is an issue in which case wifi access points will undoubtedly be affected.
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Disclaimer: If your question is stupid (yes, we believe there are stupid questions) we may or may not choose to send you a response. If you have a good question or a repetitive question which is not currently listed in our FAQ it will be answered and perhaps even placed above so we can cut down on our incoming mail and take longer naps.

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