Wifi and Wireless internet

FFactory0x

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2001
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Whats the difference between wifi and wireless internt. Ive been seeing wifi popping up everywhere now and have no clue about the differences and the adavantages of each
 

BrokenVisage

Lifer
Jan 29, 2005
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WiFi - short for "Wireless Fidelity", is a set of standards for wireless local area networks (WLAN) currently based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications
 

Paulson

Elite Member
Feb 27, 2001
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www.ifixidevices.com
Well, I'm assuming you mean wireless access points and wireless internet (as an isp providing wireless service)

Wireless access points just provide internet from cable or dsl or whatever internet connection you have and serve it to laptops, computers anything with 802.11b or g equipment in it...

Wireless internet can be actual internet providers providing a signal coming from a tower with multiple relays on top of other structures and is made possible by a receiver at your home or wherever the signal needs to be picked up at and essentially works like cable internet but it doesn't come from the cable company (it'll have a modem and it will be supplied by coax, but uses wireless to transmit data from your antenna to the tower closest...

My current internet I'm on right now is wireless and my mom works for the company... interesting stuff...
 

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
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wifi connects to router. router doesn't need to have net connection for some uses.
 

FFactory0x

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2001
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Ok i undetstand what an access point does. Now wifi. Whats so great about it. Whats the difference between a wifi card and a wireless nic
 

FFactory0x

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2001
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Originally posted by: Goosemaster
One reffers to its usage in a WLAN, and the other reffers to usage as a WWAN

Little more specific. My knowledge lies in hardware and ocing not with wireless studd
 

Goosemaster

Lifer
Apr 10, 2001
48,775
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Originally posted by: FFactory0x
Ok i undetstand what an access point does. Now wifi. Whats so great about it. Whats the difference between a wifi card and a wireless nic

:confused:

I think you mean what is the difference between wireless internet and wireless networking.

Wireless networking allows you to create a local area network using wireless technology instead of wired. You are using radiowaves instead of electrical pulses.

Wireless internet is something else and something much more powerful. It allows for communication with the internet via radiowaves but offers much more coverage, and it is a direct connection to the internet, or at least it doesn't go through your own intermediary LAN.
 

Goosemaster

Lifer
Apr 10, 2001
48,775
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Basically, think of it as being directly connected to your cable modem vs being connected to a router. They are not really competing technologies as they are sort of the same, but jsut different applications of the same technology.

A new Standard, wifimax, will sort of homogize everything, as it will create Wireless access that has incredible coverage. This will all allow for more wireless INTERNET access.