First and foremost, the Internet is a wide area network WAN that uses a series of protocols to transmit information between networks and devices around the world.
Wi-Fi, on the other hand, is simply a means for connecting devices without cables. For this reason, the signal strength of a Wi-Fi network is not directly correlated to the Internet speed a user might experience when connected.
Wi-Fi is supported by many applications and devices including video game consoles , smart home devices, tablets , mobile phones , and other types of consumer electronics. Whereas Wi-Fi is often used as a component of IoT, a complete IoT ecosystem is much more complex and enables multiple devices to communicate with one another simultaneously.
With Wi-Fi, communication is usually restricted to one channel between the user and a device at a time. This means a user with a Wi-Fi Certified product can use any brand of router or modem with any other brand of client hardware that is also deemed Wi-Fi Certified.
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But a wireless access point does more than simply extend Wi-Fi. It can also give useful data about the devices on the network, provide proactive security, and serve many other practical purposes. Wireless routers are commonly found in homes. They're the hardware devices that Internet service providers use to connect you to their cable or xDSL Internet network.
A wireless router is sometimes referred to as a wireless local area network WLAN device. A wireless network is also called a Wi-Fi network.
A wireless router combines the networking functions of a wireless access point and a router. Read more about wireless routers. The most common way for users to connect to the Internet wirelessly is with a desktop wireless Wi-Fi router. These routers look like small boxes with multiple short antennas to help broadcast the signal throughout a home or workplace. The farther a user is from the base Wi-Fi router, the weaker the signal.
So multiple wireless routers, called range extenders, usually are placed throughout the workspace. Wi-Fi range extenders, placed in an array, boost or extend Internet coverage. A mobile hotspot is a common feature on smartphones with both tethered and untethered connections.
A portable Wi-Fi hotspot is a mobile hotspot obtained through a cell phone carrier. It's a small device that uses cellular towers that broadcast high-speed 3G or 4G broadband signals. If you would like to reference this page or cite this definition, you can use the green citation links above. The goal of TechTerms. We strive for simplicity and accuracy with every definition we publish. If you have feedback about the Wi-Fi definition or would like to suggest a new technical term, please contact us.
Want to learn more tech terms? Subscribe to the daily or weekly newsletter and get featured terms and quizzes delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe or change your frequency setting at any time using the links available in each email. Now, the focus in wireless is shifting to wide area, i. It is designed to deliver a metro area broadband wireless access BWA service, and is being promoted by the WiMax Forum. A nomadic version would keep WiMAX-enabled devices connected over a large area, much like today's cell phones.
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