subject: The Coming To Be Of Wireless Internet [print this page] History: The U.S Federal Communications Commission, in 1985, made bands of the radio spectrum available for use by the public, with no license needed, and this opened the way for Wireless Internet. The inventors of WI-FI (Wireless Internet) originally developed the technology for use with cashier systems. This was the NCR Corporation with AT&T , later known as Lucent Technologies and Agere Systems.
The person responsible for making the public aware of WI-FI is Vic Hayes, and is called the father of WI-FI, and the first Wireless Internet product was called WaveLan.
Today: Local area networks can be used for client devices, without the use of wires with Wireless Internet, decreasing the cost of networks and aiding in growth for many companies. Anywhere your laptop can go, you can use wireless internet. Manufacturers are now, from 2010, incorporating wireless internet into almost all the new laptops available. The networking option of wireless internet, because of the continuing drop in chip-sets for wireless internet devices, is a popular choice for both large corporate infrastructures, and small businesses. The beauty of wireless internet, unlike the mobile phone, is that any standard wireless internet enabled device can be operated from anywhere in the world.
Wireless internet is literally everywhere you go. Many businesses and homes are using this portable internet, and it is very popular with business travelers, who now can carry their wireless internet with them in their laptops. Hotels, Restaurants, Airports, large public services like Municipalities and airports are offering this as an added attraction to their clients. Free use hotspots are available at most of these large infrastructures where it is offered as part of their service. The low costs, and availability of wireless internet make it a first choice for new internet users, especially as it is almost standard with new laptops.
Most Personal Computers, Laptops, Video Games consoles, and palm sized computers, MP3 players, smart-phones, mobile phones and personal digital assistants, as from 2010, have installed as standard, an IEEE 802.11 device, which makes them wireless internet compatible. All of these devices, and many other wireless internet enabled devices can connect to the internet, while within the range of an access point (wireless network) already connected to the internet. These wireless networks are called hotspots (access points).
The coverage of an access point or hotspot, can be as small as a 50 square feet or as large as a few square miles. This all depends on how the access points are grouped and how they overlap to provide coverage. The wireless networks interconnect the access points to form hotspots.
Future Wireless Internet: Traditional networks have all but become redundant in most business environments. Wireless internet provides all of the outdated wired technology but with more capabilities and benefits. Wireless internet enables WVOIP, Wireless Voice over Internet Protocol, a computer networking gateway that is secure, DHCP server, firewall, and an intrusion detection system, and these are only some of the benefits of wireless internet.
