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What is Wi-Fi?

Wireless broadband explained plus information on the security implications of creating a wireless network and precautions you should take.


No Contract   Unlimited   Mobile   Wireless   Gaming   Free Modem / Router

Wireless broadband, or wi-fi for short, is essentially regular broadband without the wires. Once your connection is up and running you have complete flexibility and can go online anywhere in your house or even your garden. Wireless broadband also enables you to set up a home network without trailing wires from computer to computer.

Wireless Setup

To set up your wireless broadband connection you will first need a wireless access point. This will replace the traditional Ethernet cables used in a wired connection and transmit information to computers in the form of a radio signal instead. Wireless routers with inbuilt access points are widely available and are a simple way of setting up your connection, however if you already have wired broadband it is possible to supplement this by adding a separate access point.

Once you have set up an access point in your home, any number of wi-fi enabled computers can pick up this signal, making it incredibly easy to form a home network. Many laptops now have built-in wireless capacity; however wi-fi cards are readily available for use with non-enabled PCs and laptops.

The signal from a wireless access point can travel up to approximately 30meters, enabling you to access the internet from pretty much anywhere within your house. It is worth bearing in mind that the speed of a wireless signal is likely to decrease with distance and is also subject to interference from other electrical appliances around the home which run on the same frequency (such as microwaves and cordless phones). This should not be a problem for regular use, however it may impact interactive gaming or streaming (wired networks tend to be more reliable for this type of usage).

Wireless Security

It is important to remember that just as a wireless signal is available to any wi-fi enabled computer throughout your home; it is also likely to be available to neighbours and potential snoopers. To secure your wireless broadband connection, you must enable WEP security (Wired Equivalent Privacy) at set up; this usually involves setting a password which must be used to access the wireless connection. By enabling WEP the level of security of your wireless broadband will be equal to that of a regular wired broadband connection, so you will need to implement the usual security measures too.

Although a wireless connection may be slightly more expensive to implement and more susceptible to fluctuations in broadband speed and signal than its wired alternative, it does offer complete flexibility as to where you access the internet in your home and indeed how many computers can run off the same connection without being joined by wires. For this reason it is an equally good way of bringing broadband to your home.