Wireless Technology: Communicating the Wi-Fi WayWi-Fi wireless technology is the biggest thing to hit the Internet since the Internet was first conceived. But it can be risky if you don’t take the proper precautions.
By Gary Orlando CEO, Tech Services Short for wireless fidelity, Wi-Fi is a new global standard based on the IEEE 802.11 protocol describing rules for all manufacturers to adhere to when designing and installing their wireless equipment. Any products tested and approved as Wi-Fi Certified® by the Wi-Fi Alliance (an organization made up of leading wireless equipment and software providers) are certified as interoperable with each other, even if they are from different manufacturers. Most commercial laptops have an option for a certified Wi-Fi adapter, or else it comes as standard equipment. The connection speed is fantastic—as fast as or faster than cable modems. Hotspots make it easy to connect to the world. Using Wi-Fi technology is similar to using a cell phone, except the cells are called hotspots and you use a computer for communication instead of a phone. A hotspot is a local area that is serviced by Wi-Fi-compliant equipment, and the number of hotspots is rapidly increasing. There are currently 59,874 Wi-Fi hotspots in 96 countries around the globe. The country with the greatest number of hotspots is the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan. The top five Wi-Fi cities in the world are London, Tokyo, New York, Paris, and Singapore. To search and browse for Wi-Fi hotspot locations wherever you are or plan to be, you can visit JiWire’s advanced search page at http://ibs.jiwire.com/search-hotspot-locations.htm. Most hotspots are offered by companies or services where a person is already a paying customer, such as at hotels, cafes, or ISPs. There are even a lot of free hotspots available in public places and restaurants, but free access to hotspots may not last very long. As more ISP companies get on the bandwagon they will be putting together service packages with guaranteed access to certified Wi-Fi-serviced areas. On the free (non-certified) areas, there is no guarantee of service; you get what you pay for.