With the ever-increasing number of standards and types of Wi-Fi technology available in the market, anyone can get confused. In this article, we have put together an overview of the many, most regularly encountered types of wireless technologies, as well as the sorts of wireless communication they are used for.
It will help you understand them better. Moreover, this article on 10 ways to boost your Wi-Fi signal may interest you if you wish to speed up your Wi-Fi signal.
Table of Contents
Different types of wireless communications
In the year 2022, we do not use the term “wireless” to describe your grandmother’s antique radio anymore. There are currently more varieties of wireless communication on the market than we ever imagined feasible.
However, not all wireless technologies are created equal, and not all can (or should) be employed in the same applications. We are familiar with some of the terms like radio and tv transmission, radar communication, cellular, global positioning systems & radio frequency. But these are not exactly the types of Wi-Fi technology we are going to talk about today.
Wi-Fi Network Types
In most everyday circumstances, there are four types of wireless networks: It is such as your corporate network or your home network (computers, game consoles, mobile phones, and tablets connected to the same router in one location from a local area network). Previously, setting up a local area network needed a wired connection using an “ethernet cable.” Wi-Fi is currently widely utilized for local networking, even though wired networks are still popular for a variety of reasons, including superior interference and security as compared to wireless.
1. Wide Area Network (WAN)
A WAN is a sort of network that spans a vast geographic area. Because cables are generally faster, more reliable, and less prone to interference, wires are responsible for the movement of majority of data traveling across the Internet. With the introduction of the modern smartphone and other mobile devices such as tablets, however, an increasing number of people are connecting to the Internet via cellular data.
2. Local Area Networks (LANs)
Wi-Fi is frequently utilized to construct local area networks. Wi-Fi routers utilized in everyday settings may normally cover a small to the medium-sized area, such as an office or a home. When we talk about local area wireless networks, we are typically describing a scenario where a Wi-Fi enabled device like a smartphone, tablet, personal or laptop computer connects to a router in an office or home, to enable internet access without the need to use network cables on-premises.
3. Wireless MAN
Wireless metropolitan area networks are there in cities worldwide to provide access for people outside an office or home network. These networks cover a wider area than office or home networks, but the principles are the same. APs are located on the sides of buildings or on telephone poles throughout the coverage area. APs are connected to the internet via a wired network and broadcast a wireless signal throughout the area. Users connect to their desired destination by connecting to the nearest AP, which forwards the connection through its internet connection.
4. Wireless PAN
Wireless personal area networks cover a very limited area — typically a maximum of 100 meters for most applications. Bluetooth enables hands-free phone calls, connects a phone to earpieces or transmits signals between smart devices.
Wireless developers have constantly improved technology by discovering new ways to transmit signals to users. These advances enable higher data rates and increasing range for each of these wireless technologies.
Let us talk about the frequency
When we talk about cellular wireless communication, we’re usually referring to a situation in which a device, such as a smartphone, a sim card-enabled tablet, or a laptop computer, connects to a cellular tower to provide internet access while on the go. For data and voice transmission, cellular connectivity usually employs radio waves with a specified frequency.
2.4GHz and 5Ghz
The 2.4GHz (gigahertz) band offers a wider coverage area, albeit at the expense of data transmission rates (in simple terms, it is slower). It can connect to a variety of Wi-Fi enabled devices.
The 5GHz frequency is quicker than the 2.4GHz band and is less susceptible to interference from ordinary household appliances. Even so, because wall penetration of higher frequency radios is poorer, it does so at the cost of a smaller coverage area. Some older devices might not be able to connect to 5GHz WiFi because they don’t support the frequency.
It’s vital to realize that 5GHz Wi-Fi isn’t the same as cellular 5G, which is a completely separate technology. Many router manufacturers include “5G” in the default names of their 5GHz Wi-Fi networks, which adds to the misunderstanding. 5GHz Wi-Fi is a short-range home and office networking system, while “5G” refers to the fifth generation of cellular networks.
3G & 4G
3G stands for third-generation wireless mobile telecommunications. It’s most commonly works on cell phones/smartphones and tablets that accept SIM cards. The fourth generation of cellular telecommunication technologies, known as 4G, is up to ten times quicker than 3G.
5G
5G is the fifth-generation cellular networking technology standard, which offers greater capacity (speed) than previous cellular wireless networks. Wireless Communication Technologies Used in Short-Range Wireless Devices. Not every wireless communication technology is for networking or internet access.
LTE
LTE stands for Long Term Progression, which commonly refers to 4G LTE although it is a 3G evolution. Nonetheless, in most ordinary settings when coverage is not an issue, the performance of both 4G and LTE is identical.
Bluetooth
It employs radio waves with frequencies ranging from 2.402 to 2.480GHz. Bluetooth is one of the those types of Wi-Fi technology that uses a radio frequency to share data over a short distance, eliminating the need for wires. You can use Bluetooth on your mobile device to share documents or to connect with other Bluetooth-enabled devices.
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