What is Wifi?
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WiFi is a way of connecting electronic equipments like PDA, laptop, desktop, printer, etc - to another piece of electronic equipment or connecting to the internet using "hot spot," an access point that allows connection to the Internet without using a telephone cable.
A hotspot is a venue that offers Wi-Fi access. The public can use a laptop, WiFi phone, or other suitable portable device to access the Internet via a hotspot. For example a user can use a computer at a coffee shop, hotel lobby, or airport that has a "hot spot," an access point that allows connection to the Internet without using a telephone cable. Wi-Fi is also increasingly being used to create networks within homes, connecting computers and related equipment without needing to install cables through floors and across rooms. , A wireless connection is made using radio waves.
Benefits of using Wifi
The benefits are that you don't need to buy lots of cables or no cables.
You can browse your home network or the internet from anywhere within range of your wireless access point.
You can share hardware such as printers and DVD drives.
You can communicate between machines, share files or run multiplayer games, and share resources such as a broadband internet connection.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages are that the network connections are not secure, so anyone near by with appropriate equipment can connect to the network and intercept transmissions. It is important to remember when considering Wi-Fi for any type of confidential data transmission, whether as part of a LAN or for mobile data transmitting from locations outside of the facility.
Since Wi-Fi runs on very high frequencies, 2.4 gigaHertz (GHz) or 5.2 GHz, its range is limited to under 1,000 feet.
How it works
Any suitable device that you want to connect will need a Wi-Fi card. This card may be built-in or something you connect to a USB port or plug into a card socket. The Wi-Fi card converts the digital information you want to send into an electrical signal; the transmitter sends that to the antenna which converts it into radio waves in an area of the radio spectrum that you don't need a licence to use. At the other end, another Wi-Fi card converts the radio signal back to electricity and digital information. The signal includes an address so the right device gets the information, but as any Wi-Fi device can receive the signal it can be made secure by encrypting it.
Common Places to find Wifi
Hotspots are often found at restaurants, train stations, airports, libraries, hotels, hospitals, coffee shops, bookstores, fuel stations, department stores, supermarkets and other public places. Many universities and schools have wireless networks in their campus.
What do I need?
For wireless internet access the basic set-up that you will need is a Wi-Fi enabled device and a wireless Access Point with a connection to the internet. This usually takes the form of a DSL or ADSL modem. The wireless Access Point can also be used with an existing network if you have one.
Security concerns
As any Wi-Fi enabled device within range can receive the information being transmitted wirelessly it is wise to encrypt your data. There are ways in which you can secure your data for example using WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). This is not as secure as a physical cable but it is fairly robust. The WEP method uses a shared, secret key and utilises 128-bit encryption — the standard encryption used for secure transactions on the web.
Another method is to use WPA- WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). Most Wi-Fi products come with simple instructions on how to set your security parameters.
Some hotspots authenticate users. This does not secure the data transmission or prevent packet sniffers from allowing people to see traffic on the network.
Find a free hot spot
If you have a laptop or other device with Wi-Fi (wireless Internet) capability, turn it on in one of these places to enjoy a free high-speed connection.
http://www.wi-fihotspotlist.com/
wifi News
Bbc News.
Anyone using the service can find their nearest hotspot by texting the word "hotspot" to the 84140 SMS short code number.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3665382.stm
Find and buy wifi hotspots - uk wi-fi directory
www.Totalhotspots.com - Total Hotspots lets you choose your ideal hotspots, buy wi-fi vouchers and enjoy special offers.
Find wi-fi compare www.kelkoo.co.uk
| Wifi - free wireless internet access Wi-Fi, which stands for wireless fidelity is a set of protocols that allows wireless connection to a network Wi-Fi Security for firms and Enterprises
Security is undoubtedly the most important technical issue for most firms especially medical enterprises, and this is where particular care must be taken when using Wi-Fi. Previously, security for Wi-Fi transmissions was handled by a protocol known as Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). WEP is not sufficient for securing transmissions because it uses the same encryption "key" throughout the transmission. This means that a hacker could listen in on just a few transmissions and then decipher the encryption, enabling him to intercept data or alter it during transmission.
A more advanced technology is the WPA. WPA which promises to correct the encryption problems of WEP. For the present, Wi-Fi users can get additional protection in addition to WEP through mechanisms that authenticate users: Extensible Authentication Protocol-Transport Level Security (EAP-TLS), Protected EAP (PEAP), or Lightweight EAP (LEAP), introduced by Cisco. To protect against professional hackers, strong encryption systems such as Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), or Cisco Key Integrity Protocol (CKIP) are available.
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