Wi-Fi

Standards and Frequency Bands

Wi-Fi is the commercial brand for IEEE 802.11 wireless networking. The major generations — 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4), 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5), 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6/6E), and 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) — each introduced higher modulation schemes, wider channels, and multi-antenna (MIMO) techniques that dramatically increased ThroughputThe actual rate of successful data transfer over a network, measured in bits per second. Unlike bandwidth (theoretical maximum), throughput reflects real-world performance after accounting for latency, packet loss, and protocol overhead.. The 2.4 GHz band penetrates walls better but is crowded with BluetoothA short-range wireless technology for exchanging data between devices over the 2.4 GHz ISM band. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) extends its use to IoT sensors, wearables, and proximity beacons. devices and neighbouring networks. The 5 GHz band offers more non-overlapping channels and less interference but shorter range. Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 add the 6 GHz band, which is currently uncongested and supports 320 MHz channels.

From Radio to the Internet

A Wi-Fi association gives a device a Private IP AddressAn IP address from reserved ranges (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16) used within local networks. Private addresses are not routable on the public internet and require NAT for external communication. address via DHCPDynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A network protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses, subnet masks, gateways, and DNS servers to devices when they join a network. from the router. The router then applies NATNetwork Address Translation. A method of remapping private IP addresses to a single public IP address (and vice versa) at a router, allowing multiple devices to share one public IP. A key technique for mitigating IPv4 address exhaustion. to share a single Public IP AddressA globally unique IP address assigned by an ISP that is routable on the public internet. Every device directly accessible from the internet must have a public IP address. with all connected devices. SSIDService Set Identifier. The human-readable name of a Wi-Fi network that access points broadcast so nearby devices can discover and connect to it. SSIDs can be hidden to reduce casual visibility. and WPAWi-Fi Protected Access. A family of security protocols (WPA, WPA2, WPA3) that encrypt wireless network traffic and authenticate devices. WPA3 is the current standard, offering stronger encryption and protection against offline dictionary attacks. govern network identity and access control respectively. Performance is measured in real-world BandwidthThe maximum data transfer rate of a network link, typically measured in bits per second (Mbps, Gbps). Bandwidth represents capacity, not actual speed; real-world transfer rates depend on latency, congestion, and protocol overhead. and LatencyThe time delay for a data packet to travel from source to destination, typically measured in milliseconds (ms). Lower latency is critical for real-time applications like video calls, gaming, and financial trading. terms, both of which degrade with distance, interference, and the number of concurrent users on the same access point.

Testing Your Connection

Internet Speed Test measures the actual ThroughputThe actual rate of successful data transfer over a network, measured in bits per second. Unlike bandwidth (theoretical maximum), throughput reflects real-world performance after accounting for latency, packet loss, and protocol overhead. you are achieving over your Wi-Fi connection to the internet, which may be far below the theoretical 802.11 link rate displayed by your operating system. The link rate reflects radio conditions between your device and the access point; bottlenecks further along the path — ISP throttling, server capacity — determine what you actually experience.