15-12-2012, 12:16 PM
The Wonderful World of Wi-Fi
[attachment=43885]
Abstract
This paper is written about wireless communications on the topic of Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity. We chose this because wireless communications have become necessary to our daily lives and are a very real and relevant choice for a topic. Wireless fidelity is a very common form of wireless communications and has become very widespread, even on our own campus. This paper will discuss the uses of Wi-Fi, an overview of how it works, a look into security of connections, and a number of the recent advancements in Wi-Fi.
Everywhere you look, there is someone using their laptop. Whether it is on campus, at a coffee shop, or an airport, we are in the era of Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is used as a means of communication with co-workers, family members, or just for surfing the Internet. The use of Wi-Fi has become more convenient than a hard Ethernet line. The point of a wireless network says it right in its name, “wireless.” There are no wires, making your computer or mobile device completely mobile and clutter-free. Wi-Fi is so widespread that it has become a necessity in our daily lives and is needed everywhere we go. With the availability of Wi-Fi, students all across the nation are able to connect to the Internet through many campus-wide Wi-Fi hotspots. This makes it convenient to turn in a paper at the last minute or place a bid on E-bay in between classes. Wi-Fi is not only available and useful for college students, but useful for home networks and businesses. One of the most common uses of Wi-Fi is connecting to the Internet in order to place orders for businesses or sending e-mails. The easiest and most common way to get a business up and running is through a Wi-Fi network setup within the building to reduce clutter and to allow people to be mobile. “Wi-Fi can make access publicly available at Wi-Fi hotspots provided either free of charge or to subscribers to various providers. Organizations and businesses such as airports, hotels and restaurants often provide free hotspots to attract or assist clients” (Wireless Hotspots 1). Free, in today’s vernacular, is revered by everyone. When a coffee shop or store like Starbucks or Borders offers free hotspots, people will immediately flock to this area for connectivity. There are a plethora of uses for Wi-Fi and the technology is being improved to expand the capabilities of Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi functions because of the wireless router. A wireless router, which is connected to the internet through an Ethernet cable, sends and receives signal with information to computers or any other device capable of receiving the signal. The wireless communication between the router and the computer takes place in the form of a radio wave-an electromagnetic (light) wave that has a specific range of frequencies. At a constant frequency it is possible for interference of waves to occur so the frequency is changed quickly to prevent this. Two-way communication takes place; both the router and the computer send and receive signals. The information in the signal is transferred in binary form. It is sent, then received, then decoded. Through this two-way communication computers are capable of requesting to view websites, receiving the information from the router, sending more information back to the internet, as well as to other computers in the network using the same wireless router!
Though Wi-Fi is incredibly useful and helpful in today's society, there are also many security concerns that come with it. Because many people can log on to a given Wi-Fi connection if they are in range of the signal, security measures need to be taken to ensure that the security of the network is not compromised. If unwanted users connect to a network, then there are many ways they can tamper with the network. For example, a user could steal bandwidth from a nearby neighbor without paying for their own internet connection, or break into another network and destroy files. There are laws against unauthorized use of Wi-Fi connections, and there have been trials for people who have used Wi-Fi from retailers to hack into their databases and steal credit card numbers and other sensitive information. For this reason, encryption exists to provide protection from unwanted use of the network (Leng 1-2).
[attachment=43885]
Abstract
This paper is written about wireless communications on the topic of Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity. We chose this because wireless communications have become necessary to our daily lives and are a very real and relevant choice for a topic. Wireless fidelity is a very common form of wireless communications and has become very widespread, even on our own campus. This paper will discuss the uses of Wi-Fi, an overview of how it works, a look into security of connections, and a number of the recent advancements in Wi-Fi.
Everywhere you look, there is someone using their laptop. Whether it is on campus, at a coffee shop, or an airport, we are in the era of Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is used as a means of communication with co-workers, family members, or just for surfing the Internet. The use of Wi-Fi has become more convenient than a hard Ethernet line. The point of a wireless network says it right in its name, “wireless.” There are no wires, making your computer or mobile device completely mobile and clutter-free. Wi-Fi is so widespread that it has become a necessity in our daily lives and is needed everywhere we go. With the availability of Wi-Fi, students all across the nation are able to connect to the Internet through many campus-wide Wi-Fi hotspots. This makes it convenient to turn in a paper at the last minute or place a bid on E-bay in between classes. Wi-Fi is not only available and useful for college students, but useful for home networks and businesses. One of the most common uses of Wi-Fi is connecting to the Internet in order to place orders for businesses or sending e-mails. The easiest and most common way to get a business up and running is through a Wi-Fi network setup within the building to reduce clutter and to allow people to be mobile. “Wi-Fi can make access publicly available at Wi-Fi hotspots provided either free of charge or to subscribers to various providers. Organizations and businesses such as airports, hotels and restaurants often provide free hotspots to attract or assist clients” (Wireless Hotspots 1). Free, in today’s vernacular, is revered by everyone. When a coffee shop or store like Starbucks or Borders offers free hotspots, people will immediately flock to this area for connectivity. There are a plethora of uses for Wi-Fi and the technology is being improved to expand the capabilities of Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi functions because of the wireless router. A wireless router, which is connected to the internet through an Ethernet cable, sends and receives signal with information to computers or any other device capable of receiving the signal. The wireless communication between the router and the computer takes place in the form of a radio wave-an electromagnetic (light) wave that has a specific range of frequencies. At a constant frequency it is possible for interference of waves to occur so the frequency is changed quickly to prevent this. Two-way communication takes place; both the router and the computer send and receive signals. The information in the signal is transferred in binary form. It is sent, then received, then decoded. Through this two-way communication computers are capable of requesting to view websites, receiving the information from the router, sending more information back to the internet, as well as to other computers in the network using the same wireless router!
Though Wi-Fi is incredibly useful and helpful in today's society, there are also many security concerns that come with it. Because many people can log on to a given Wi-Fi connection if they are in range of the signal, security measures need to be taken to ensure that the security of the network is not compromised. If unwanted users connect to a network, then there are many ways they can tamper with the network. For example, a user could steal bandwidth from a nearby neighbor without paying for their own internet connection, or break into another network and destroy files. There are laws against unauthorized use of Wi-Fi connections, and there have been trials for people who have used Wi-Fi from retailers to hack into their databases and steal credit card numbers and other sensitive information. For this reason, encryption exists to provide protection from unwanted use of the network (Leng 1-2).