Most people are aware of the wireless icon symbol on a computer or smartphone that indicates a successful wireless LAN connection, but fewer understand the origins of the technology that has been dubbed as Wi-Fi.
有趣的是，长期的Wi-Fi原本并不代表技术本身，而是被设计来推动和不同的无线局域网系统之间的互操作性支持一个品牌的术语。无线网络连接从来没有无线保真的缩写版本;这只是对这个词的Hi-Fi（高保真），尊敬对高品质音频技术的双关语。
The term Wi-Fi was created by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, which later became theWi-Fi联盟。2000年4月，该集团宣布第一套Wi-Fi认证的产品，开始与IEEE 802.11b产品。现在，20多年过去了，有超过15十亿的Wi-Fi产品在世界各地使用，根据联盟。
当时，产品包括接入点和个人电脑的网络适配器卡使用无线连接计算机宽带Internet选项。无线之前，在局域网或更广泛的互联网网络连接经由在他们的电话线调制解调器连接有线以太网连接或人来完成。
随着技术的进步和网络厂商开始生产无线产品，Wi-Fi认证的程序和它的标志会告诉消费者，一个产品会与另一个互操作。随着技术的增长超出802.11b和成为上百万个不同的设备更普及，术语的Wi-Fi成为更多关于一般的无线局域网技术，减少对互操作性认证。
What is Wi-Fi?
在一般意义上，无线网络是指利用IEEE 802.11标准的通信无线局域网技术。Wi-Fi产品使用无线电波发送数据从客户端设备到任何一个接入点，其包括路由器，和路由器完成了在局域网，广域网或互联网到其他设备的连接。
最初的技术一起使用的2.4GHz的频率，但已经扩展至5GHz，60GHz的，2020年欧洲杯彩票 frequency bands. (A competing standard, known as HomeRF, also supported wireless connections, but vendors and customers eventually chose Wi-Fi and the 802.11 protocols as the wireless standard.)
802.11 confusion
一个重要原因术语的Wi-Fi风行是因为它是不是试图跟上简单的“alphabet soup” that was created by the names of each subsequent standard for the technology as it evolved. Oddly, 802.11b was developed before 802.11a, and then it evolved into 802.11g, 802.11n and other letters. Instead of having users memorize which letters they were using on a particular device to see if it would connect, people just started to refer to the entire technology as Wi-Fi.
最近，补充特异性术语的Wi-Fi，在数字的命名约定大头钉。因此，举例来说，技术符合802.11ax被称为Wi-Fi 6。
无线上网differs from other wireless technologies, including Bluetooth and the wide-area cellular networking used by wireless service providers that use terms 3G, 4G, 5G, etc. In basic terms, Bluetooth is utilized for short-range wireless connections (for example, from a smartphone to a speaker or headphones), Wi-Fi is used for LAN connections such as in a home or office setting, and longer-range connections use 4G and 5G. While some of these technologies can overlap with each other, the distance comparison is generally accepted as a rule of thumb.
Securing Wi-Fi connections
As Wi-Fi grew in popularity, so did the ability for hackers and other bad actors to take advantage. Initially, most Wi-Fi networks were open, with data traveling over the air unsecured. This posed a problem for companies concerned that an employee connecting from a public coffee shop could be leaking data to anyone else in the room with a Wi-Fi receiver. The Wi-Fi Alliance addressed by adding different security protocols to the standard, including the最新，WPA3。Users connecting to secured access points through properly configured WPA and a VPN connection are now generally secure from some of the technology’s earlier open-network issues.
Beyond computers and routers
另一个原因是该技术的成功是可在其中安装的Wi-Fi包括家电，电视机，视频游戏机和智能手表设备的指数级增长，仅举几例。事（物联网）的互联网的发展可以追溯到成本低，强大的性能和可靠性的Wi-Fi产品。
Why Wi-Fi still matters
现在米ore than 20 years after its inception, Wi-Fi isn’t going anywhere. In addition to supporting short-distance connectivity (such as 60 GHz offerings for technologies such as virtual reality), the Wi-Fi Alliance is working on interoperability certifications for Wi-Fi 6 products, which operate over the新近开业的6 GHz频段。认证的Wi-Fi 6E（品牌名称为Wi-Fi 6个器件支持6千兆赫）将在2021年初上市，虽然像以前的版本中，从厂商的产品都可能冲击市场较早，随后固件升级以符合官方标准。
在6 GHz的技术有望带来超过6倍的2.4和5GHz的频率，以及七个连续160 MHz信道的总容量，从传统的Wi-Fi设备提供较少的干扰，并且多千兆位的Wi-Fi速度。因为6 GHz的是未经许可的频谱，有些人担心该手机服务提供商将利用自己的手机网络（增强现有5G服务，例如）频谱。
Beyond the additional spectrum, Wi-Fi upgrades will focus on improving connection speeds, congestion reduction, interoperability and new devices that can provide networking connectivity to a local network or the internet. New initiatives and concepts such as计算环境， 要么无线网络感知用于基于近距离的发现，将推动该技术在另外的方向。超过50,000不同类型的能够支持Wi-Fi产品，该技术是在这里停留。