History WiFi

WiFi is the technology that many people have been longing for. The dream of accessing the internet quickly, cheaply and easily from any location seemed so close. The technical issues surrounding WiFi are quite important. It all began in October 1999 with the introduction of the IEEE standard 802.11b protocol. This offered a 5 Mbit/s transfer speed and an effective range of 150-300 ft. A new standard was under development and became popular even before it was ratified in June 2003. The new standard was completely backward compatible, so people with the old hardware could use it with the new hardware. Unfortunately there are certain limitations inherent in WiFi. Microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices, cordless phones and baby monitors all have the potential to cause a lapse in services - to the annoyance of users. 'Power users' such as on-line gamers prefer to stick to the more reliable wired connections. Technology moves on and the latest derivation of the standard - 802.11n - will soon deliver another significant step forward if you have the correct hardware.
WiMAX is similar to WiFi but it is designed to work over longer distances. As a result it has lower data rates and the transmitter/receiver requires more power. This means it is not useful for portable devices and is designed as an alternative to cable from the exchange to your front door or "last mile".
When WiFi works, it works very well and can be a real life saver. For the time being the best approach seems to be; find an airport, station, cafe, bar or hotel that offers free WiFi. WiFi is not expensive to set up unless you want to have a complicated payment system.