What is a WiFi Network?
A Wi-Fi® or WiFi network is the most familiar type of wireless network used to connect computers and share online access at home or at the office. A WiFi network does not require cabling, but broadcasts network traffic over radio waves. It does this using a central device that is often three components in one: a network hub, router, and high-speed Internet modem. For simplicity we’ll refer to this device as a router, though in some cases the router, which has a built-in hub, is purchased separately from the modem. Each machine on a WiFi network must have an installed WiFi card or an external WiFi adapter. These devices incorporate a receiver and transmitter to send and receive data over the network to the router. Broadcast range varies up to 300 feet (~100m) or more, but is fairly centralized, creating what is termed a local area network (LAN). The WiFi router, cards and adapters use a common language or protocol to communicate that is compliant with a standard known as IEEE 802.11. Wi
