Learn about Wi-Fi and how it has more in common with Ethernet
Episode #12-15 released on December 4, 2021
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The majority of us have access to cellular and home Internet connections. The vast majority of us, also, connect our mobile devices at home, work, or in public spaces, to WI-FI hot spots.
I want to explain something that seems to lead to some confusion, the Internet and Wi-Fi are not the same thing. Wi-Fi is technically wireless ethernet networking. For networking to function, we do not need to have access to the Internet, only other computers on the same network.
Wi-Fi, because it is simply wireless ethernet, also, has to adhere to all of the same standards as wired connections in a network. There is a maximum number of possible connections a router can have in a subnet, and that number is 255, excluding itself. If there are more than 255 wireless devices trying to connection, there would not be enough IP addresses for them all, and some devices would not connect. And, this is ignoring the maximum number of supported devices a router can handle, which is less than 255 devices.
Wi-Fi, unlike wired ethernet, also, has to deal with radio signal interference at a greater extent, as well, as range concerns. You can be close enough to a router but experience too much electromagnetic interference, or have too many wireless access points using the same channel, or be too far away, etc.
Wi-Fi, can, also, be isolated from the Internet, but not the network. This means you could access network resources but be prevented from accessing Internet itself. It could be a security concern in some cases.
But, more importantly, because Wi-Fi is not the Internet, you Internet connection could be great, but you can have issues with Wi-Fi radios in networking equipment, or all the aforementioned circumstances, and it would quite literally have nothing to do with the Internet itself. And, because it is not the same thing, the Internet could go down, the Wi-Fi connection could be strong, but you would not be able to access the Internet because it simply was down, and maybe in this case, the Wi-Fi is fine, but you may still blame the Wi-Fi for something that has nothing to do with it.
This being said, remember, problems related to Internet or Wi-Fi are not usually going to be mutually inclusive, and it is for this reason, that when we test our Internet connectivity, using a wired connection will help us have a better idea of what is happening, and this will allow us to determine if the issue is Wi-Fi or Internet.
Host : Steve Smith | Music : | Editor : Steve Smith | Producer : Zed Axis Dot Net