What is Wi-Fi?
"Wi-Fi" is the friendly common name for the IEEE 802.11 series of technology protocols commonly used for creating wireless local area networks.
Instead of using wires, a Wi-Fi access point creates a local network by broadcasting over pre-defined unlicensed channels, hosting a network that nearby devices can connect to if they know the network's name and password.
Wi-Fi is primarily a short-range local wireless networking technology. The Wi-Fi Alliance owns the trademark to "Wi-Fi" - only allowing certified compatible and interoperable devices to officially claim Wi-Fi compatibility.
While it is possible to have Wi-Fi networks that are NOT connected to the Internet, it is quite common for a Wi-Fi router to distribute an upstream Internet connection to multiple devices on your network.
The internet source might be cable, fiber, satellite, cellular, or even another Wi-Fi network - or some combination of these technologies.
But Wi-Fi itself is NOT the Internet; it is just a networking protocol technology—a wireless version of an Ethernet cable.
The wireless signal created by a Wi-Fi access point is relatively short-range and meant to cover a limited area—typically only a few hundred feet.
All modern laptops, smartphones, tablets, streaming devices, many TVs, and most other internet-connected devices have Wi-Fi and can connect to an access point.
Most routers and cellular-enabled mobile devices can create a private local area wireless network, sharing a central upstream Internet connection.
Mobile travelers like RVers and cruisers may encounter Wi-Fi technology in multiple forms during their travels —both in their own local area networking, shared public access points, and borrowing bandwidth from friends they might visit.
This guide will help explain just what Wi-Fi is and the many forms it comes in.
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Wi-Fi Technology is Not the Internet
How often have you heard (or even said yourself)...
I need some Wi-Fi!
... When the actual meaning was: 'I need to get online'?
Because Wi-Fi technology is often used to deliver internet access to computers and other devices, it has also come to mean internet access.
But technically, Wi-Fi does not mean internet access. It is simply a wireless technology used for connecting devices.
This can cause a great deal of confusion, especially for mobile travelers who might be utilizing different forms of wireless technology to get their internet access.
RVers and cruisers commonly get online via a cellular data connection, satellite provider (like Starlink), or existing Wi-Fi network (such as you might find at a campground, marina, or cafe).
While cellular and satellite use wireless signals, they differ from Wi-Fi technology.
These differences matter when you're considering your mobile internet setup, as each requires different strategies for getting the best signal and performance.
A Wi-Fi extender will not help you get a better cellular signal, and a cellular booster will not help you with getting a better signal from your campground's or marina's Wi-Fi network.
The radios involved, frequency bands used, and the technology underlying Wi-Fi, satellite, and cellular data differ.
How Cellular Is Different than Wi-Fi Technology
There's a lot of confusion between Wi-Fi and cellular, two popular mobile internet connections.
They are both wireless technologies and a Wi-Fi signal is commonly used to share a cellular connection with other devices.
Cellular technology is a wireless technology that is longer-range than Wi-Fi.
All smartphones have cellular capabilities built in, but so do some tablets, newer cars, laptops, and routers.
When using cellular data, you access the Internet via a cell tower that might be within sight or perhaps as far as 20 miles away. That cell tower, in turn, usually has a very high-speed connection to the Internet itself.
Using cellular data requires a data plan with a cellular carrier such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Dish, or one of their many subsidiaries or resellers.
To add to the confusion, the latest flagship phones are now capable of having limited connectivity directly with satellites, either via cellular signals, or a special satellite wireless connection.
Video Overview: Wi-Fi Update for Mobile Internet (Early 2024)
Where Cellular & Wi-Fi Technology Collide: Hotspots & Cellular Routers
Smartphones, mobile hotspots, and mobile routers with cellular modems built-in merge cellular and Wi-Fi technology.
These cellular devices can also create a Wi-Fi hotspot to share the cellular data connection with other devices.
A smartphone or tablet can usually create a personal Wi-Fi hotspot to share its connection in a basic way. Dedicated cellular mobile hotspots (also sometimes called a MiFi or Jetpack) leave out the smartphone features to focus on providing a cellular data connection to other devices via Wi-Fi, USB, or sometimes Ethernet.
For more robust needs, cellular embedded routers offer more advanced networking options - think of them as a home internet router with a built-in cellular connection instead of using a landline like cable or fiber.
For more on Cellular Data:
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Check out the Topics Covered in the Member Section:
Wi-Fi Frequencies & Channels
Explaining the differences between 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz Wi-Fi channels and how to effectively utilize each.
Wi-Fi Standards
Understanding the alphabet soup of different generations of 802.11 standards, including Wi-Fi 6, 6E, 7, WiGig, and HaLow.
Wi-Fi Challenges
How to optimize Wi-Fi signals by knowing what can inhibit their optimal performance.
Wi-Fi as WAN and LAN
You might use Wi-Fi in two different ways in your travels: as your local area network and as your internet source. This section discusses the different considerations for each.
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