Difference Between WI-Fi and Wireless Lan

Difference Between WI-Fi and Wireless Lan



Wifi refers more to the actual technology used and transportation of the data, the network end of things is used to refer to setting up access points and the like. Home networks are just a smaller scale network set up for home use. WIFI -s a service & WLAN : is application which uses the wifi/wimax service Wi-Fi (short for wireless fidelity ) is a term for certain types of wireless local area network (WLAN) that use specifications in the 802.11 family. The term Wi-Fi was created by an organization called the Wi-Fi Alliance, which oversees tests that certify product interoperability. A product that passes the alliance tests is given the label Wi-Fi certified (a registered trademark). A wireless LAN (or WLAN, for wireless local area network, sometimes referred to as LAWN, for local area wireless network) is one in which a mobile user can connect to a local area network (LAN) through a wireless (radio) connection. The research 802.11 group of standards specify the technologies for wireless LANs. 802.11 standards use the Ethernet protocol and CSMA/CA (carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance) for path sharing and include an encryption method, the Wired Equivalent Privacy algorithm. Unless adequately protected, a Wi-Fi network can be susceptible to access by unauthorized users who use the access as a free Internet connection. The activity of locating and exploiting security-exposed wireless LANs is called war driving. An identifying iconography, called war chalking, has evolved. Any entity that has a wireless LAN should use security safeguards such as the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption standard, the more recent Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), or a virtual private network (VPN). High-bandwidth allocation for wireless will make possible a relatively low-cost wiring of classrooms in the United States. A similar frequency allocation has been made in Europe. Hospitals and businesses are also expected to install wireless LAN systems where existing LANs are not already in place. Using technology from the Symbionics Networks, Ltd., a wireless LAN adapter can be made to fit on a Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association (PCMCIA) card for a laptop or notebook computer Wifi formerly stood for Wireless Fidelity, but the Wi-Fi Alliance that designed the standard is moving away from that designation. The standard exists so that manufacturers can produce interoperable components that will be compatible in a wireless environment. If not for this common standard, each manufacturer would have proprietary wifi, making it very difficult for consumers to buy equipment. Every network would have to be built around a single brand name. Moreover, individual networks of different brands would have no way to communicate with one another, and public access strategies would be all but impossible. Since the wifi standard is always improving, different versions represent the standard at different phases of evolution. Standard 802.11a saw some success, but operates in the 5-gigahertz (GHz) range, requiring virtual line-of-sight operation. The first widely adopted wifi standard was 802.11b, which uses the 2.4 GHz range : a lower frequency that does not require near line-of-sight operation. Standard 802.11g followed with an increased maximum data rate transfer from 802.11b’s 11 megabits per second (mbps) to 54 mbps. As of fall 2006, the newest draft standard, 802.11n, increases this rate to 540 mbps. Wifi signals can successfully transmit data without loss of integrity from roughly 100 to 160 feet (30 to 50 meters), depending on the wifi version used. Security can be a concern with wireless technologies, as eavesdroppers can monitor unprotected data traffic. However, secure configuration is basic to wifi networks, and users can enable password protections and traffic encryption by following accompanying software instructions. Re: What Is the Difference Between WI-Fi and Wireless Lan? Wireless Internet is just one of the services that wifi optionally supports. Wifi is a wireless communication standard used between computer devices to share files and resources. The wifi signal cannot travel long distances without loss of integrity, and it is therefore used for Local Area Networks (LANs). In the home, a wireless LAN might include a personal desktop system and laptop, while in the workplace, a wireless network commonly connects numerous computers within a commercial building. The wifi signal might also cover a small region within a city, creating hot spots or places where the wifi signal allows connectivity to the public through wireless access points (WAPs). A wifi network is very easy to set up. The main computer acts as a server with a wireless network interface card (NIC). The wireless NIC features a small antenna that broadcasts and receives wifi signals. A router and switch direct traffic on the wifi network and are commonly built into a high-speed modem to integrate wireless Internet into the wifi LAN. Each computer connected to the network, referred to as a client, also requires a wifi NIC. Personal digital assistants, cell phones, and other handheld electronics commonly have wifi ability built-in. This allows them to connect wirelessly to a wifi-enabled network to transfer files, access data, or surf the Internet. Wifi formerly stood for Wireless Fidelity, but the Wi-Fi Alliance that designed the standard is moving away from that designation. The standard exists so that manufacturers can produce interoperable components that will be compatible in a wireless environment. If not for this common standard, each manufacturer would have proprietary wifi, making it very difficult for consumers to buy equipment. Every network would have to be built around a single brand name. Moreover, individual networks of different brands would have no way to communicate with one another, and public access strategies would be all but impossible. Since the wifi standard is always improving, different versions represent the standard at different phases of evolution. Standard 802.11a saw some success, but operates in the 5-gigahertz (GHz) range, requiring virtual line-of-sight operation. The first widely adopted wifi standard was 802.11b, which uses the 2.4 GHz range : a lower frequency that does not require near line-of-sight operation. Standard 802.11g followed with an increased maximum data rate transfer from 802.11b’s 11 megabits per second (mbps) to 54 mbps. As of fall 2006, the newest draft standard, 802.11n, increases this rate to 540 mbps. Wifi signals can successfully transmit data without loss of integrity from roughly 100 to 160 feet (30 to 50 meters), depending on the wifi version used. Security can be a concern with wireless technologies, as eavesdroppers can monitor unprotected data traffic. However, secure configuration is basic to wifi networks, and users can enable password protections and traffic encryption by following accompanying software instructions.

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