We’re all familiar with (and dependent on) Wi-Fi. This is why you don’t need to plug your Internet-enabled device into the wall to connect to the World Wide Web, and it can prevent people without unlimited data plans from racking up huge cell phone bills on their phones. But while Wi-Fi is ubiquitous, the name itself is a bit of a mystery. First of all, what does “Wi-Fi” mean?And what teeth that?
What does “wifi” stand for?
Thanks to marketing company Interbrand for the actual name “wifi.” The company was hired to create a better name for a new wireless technology standard, then called “IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence.” Catchy.
But what does Wi-Fi actually do? stand for? Well, nothing. Phil Belanger, one of the founding members of the Wi-Fi Alliance, acknowledged as much in an interview. There has long been a rumor that Wi-Fi stands for “wireless fidelity,” but Belanger dispelled that theory. We needed a name that people would remember and use to describe this new wireless connectivity standard. It helped that the Wi-Fi sounded like “hi-fi” even though it actually had nothing to do with fidelity.
Although Wi-Fi is often written in a variety of ways, it is also important to note that “Wi-Fi” with a hyphen and capitalized W and F is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
What is Wi-Fi?
Wifi is a wireless network technology that allows you to connect to the Internet wirelessly. Also known as 802.11. This is the name of the standard by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Your Internet router or access point is wired to your modem, which connects you to the entire Internet. The router or access point then outputs radio waves, often operating in the 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz frequency range, to connect devices wirelessly to the Internet. The 2.4 GHz band typically has the longest range but transmits data at a slower rate. The 5GHz band, on the other hand, has a shorter range but can transmit data much faster.
But Wi-Fi is getting better and better. For example, Wi-Fi 6E uses the 6Ghz band to achieve speeds of over 1Gbps. Wi-Fi 7 takes this technology even further, but most new devices are currently trying to add at least Wi-Fi 6E, so Wi-Fi 7 probably won’t become the standard for a while. .
So even though “Wi-Fi” itself is a marketing slogan, the numbers in Wi-Fi’s name actually mean something.
