Wi-Fi

What Is Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi, short for Wireless Fidelity, is a wireless network technology that enables devices to connect and access the internet through wireless signals. It is based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which define the specifications for wireless local area networks (WLANs).

What Does Wi-Fi Stand For?

Wi-Fi is a term commonly used to refer to wireless networking technology based on the IEEE 802.11 standards developed by the 802.11 Working Group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The first standard, 802.11-1997, was released in 1997 and established the foundation for wireless local area networks (WLANs).

Over the years, subsequent standards were introduced to enhance and extend the capabilities of Wi-Fi.

802.11 Standards Evolution

• 802.11b: Provided a data rate of 11 Mbit/s.

• 802.11a: Increased data rate to 54 Mbit/s using OFDM on 5 GHz.

• 802.11g: Extended OFDM to 2.4 GHz with backward compatibility.

• 802.11n: Introduced SU-MIMO and achieved 600 Mbit/s.

• 802.11ac: Supported DL MU-MIMO and up to 6933.33 Mbit/s.

• 802.11ax: Introduced OFDMA and reached speeds up to 9607.8 Mbit/s.

• 802.11be: Operates in 6 GHz spectrum with speeds up to 23050 Mbit/s.

Wi-Fi vs. 802.11

Wi-Fi and IEEE 802.11 are closely related but distinct entities. IEEE 802.11 refers to the set of standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for wireless local area networks (WLANs).

Wi-Fi, on the other hand, is a specific product implementation of the IEEE 802.11 standards. It represents the practical application and commercialization of wireless networking technology based on these standards.

Wi-Fi vs. WLAN

Wi-Fi, which is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA), refers to a wireless network communication technology that operates based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. The WFA has taken the initiative to enhance product interoperability by adopting the Wi-Fi brand name for devices that comply with the IEEE 802.11 standards.

WLAN stands for wireless local area network and encompasses various wireless network communication technologies, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and HyperLAN2.

How to Deploy a Wi-Fi Network

To deploy a Wi-Fi network, you typically need at least one Access Point (AP) and one or more Station (STA) devices.

In home setups, wireless routers are commonly used, which integrate the AP function. For larger deployments, such as in enterprises, several deployment modes are available:

1. 1. Centralized AC + Fit AP deployment: In this architecture, the Access Controller (AC) serves as the central management point for the Wi-Fi network.

2. 2. Independent Fat AP deployment: Fat APs operate autonomously without additional management devices.

3. 3. Cloud-based deployment: Cloud APs are managed centrally through a cloud management platform.

Choose the deployment mode based on the scale, requirements, and roaming needs of your Wi-Fi network.