Types of wifi technology

Wifi networks have become ubiquitous over the past few years. Everywhere you go, from McDonald's to the library, seems to have a wifi network. Cars, trains and buses are even equipped with wireless wifi. But are all wireless networks alike? And if you're responsible for setting up a network for your business or organization, what do you need to know?

First off, while all wireless wifi networks operate using the same IEEE Here are several common wifi network setups:.

Consumer WiFi - This setup is often found in homes and small offices. It is very straightforward, and simply involves an internet gateway of some fashion via a cable or DSL modem, for instance which is then connected to a wireless router.

The router also serves as the access point and is equipped with one or more antennae. Configuration is achieved usually by connecting a computer to the router via ethernet cable and following a configuration wizard. 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. Multiple devices, like iPads and laptops, can then connect wirelessly to the device, which in turn seamlessly connects to the Internet where ever you travel.

Similar to a cell phone, the portable hotspot's monthly cost is based on the data usage plan you select. A portable Wi-Fi hotspot is a more reliable way to access the Internet than searching for static public Wi-Fi hotspots. There are four different types of deployments that an organization can choose from to create a wireless network. Each deployment has its own attributes that will work better for different solutions.

Unique to the Cisco Wi-Fi network, Mobility Express is a simple, high-performance wireless solution for small or medium-sized organizations. It has the full complement of advanced Cisco features that are preconfigured with Cisco best practices. The defaults allow for a quick and effortless deployment that can be operational in minutes. The most common type of wireless network system, traditionally deployed in campuses where buildings and networks are in close proximity. These send and receive wireless signals in a limited arc.

Limit the connections these routers make to a wedge-shaped area. These send and receive wireless signals in a narrow beam. Limit the connections to a single thin line. You have a limited amount of equipment available for each network. Each worksheet has icons of the types and number of pieces of equipment. The example below provides three omnidirectional, one sector, and one focused router:. You can assume that all of the wireless equipment in the examples are within range of each other - the signals will reach.

Remember that Clients can only connect to Access Points. APs cannot connect to each other wirelessly, Clients cannot connect to each other wirelessly, and Mesh nodes cannot connect to APs or Clients wirelessly. Many Clients can connect to a single Access Point. Ad-hoc mesh devices can have connections to multiple other mesh devices at once. This way devices that normally cannot connect wirelessly can still be networked.

Now download and print out the worksheets and example solutions , and try out some designs! It is a partner document to Wireless Challenges , and can be done before or after that activity. Introduction Community Wireless Networks can be designed in many ways. The three wireless roles are: Wireless Clients Station Devices such as computers, tablets, and phones are common Clients on a network.

Access Points Master Most wireless networks are made using Access Points - devices that host and control the wireless connection for laptops, tablets, or smart phones. What connects to what? Access Points cannot connect to each other wirelessly: Clients cannot connect to each other wirelessly: Clients cannot connect to Ad-Hoc Mesh devices wirelessly: Access Points cannot connect to Ad-Hoc Mesh devices wirelessly: Wireless devices in networks Treat the three types of roles above - Clients, Access Points, and Ad-Hoc nodes - as the building blocks for large networks.

Access Point - Home or Office network Wireless networks used in your home or office are generally a combination of a router and a wireless Access Point AP.

In the diagram above: 1 represents the connection to the Internet Optional - networks can function without the Internet.

Point to Point link - Long Distance Connections Wireless networks can be used to connect distant buildings or areas. Omnidirectional Access Point and Client Link 1 represents computers connected with Ethernet cables to the wireless devices. These computers are connected to each other over the Point-to-Point link. This could look like the building-to-building connection, as shown below: Long-distance directional Access Point and Client Link Here we have another example of a point-to-point link, but where the routers have dish antennas for greater link distance.

In the diagram above: 1 represents computers connected with Ethernet cables to the wireless devices. Point to MultiPoint - Wireless Internet Service Provider model If we combine the two principles used in the networks above - many client devices connecting to an Access Point, and more powerful antennas used for outdoor devices to create longer links - we can create Point to Multipoint networks.

In the diagram above: 1 represents the connection to the Internet. Mesh - Neighbor-to-neighbor Networks A mesh network takes the principle of Point-to-Multipoint, and extends it to the idea of every node connecting to every other node in range.

These nodes are receiving Internet access from Mesh Node B. They may be connected to different devices inside the building. Hybrid Networks When designing and building town or community-sized networks, it may be difficult or impossible to use a single method to connect everyone.

A detailed look at this is below: In the diagram: 1 represents the rooftop wireless device. It could be a Mesh Node, or Client router. Get NetSpot. Explaining WiFi standards. Jump to IEEE Latest WiFi Standards.

Each network can be broken down by a few different settings: Speed: How much data the network can transmit. This is calculated in Mbps 1 million bits per second Frequency: What radio frequency the network is carried on. These are either 5 Ghz or 2. Name Speed Frequency Notes This is one of the oldest standards, but still in use by many devices today.

Really, g was made to be backwards compatible with b to support more devices. Usually, this is combined with other networks like It does this by using multiple frequencies at once and joining that speed together.