After the read, you will know what you did not know such as:
What is Wi-Fi and WiFi Advantages
- Technology principle
- Main functions
- Application areas
- Composition structure
- Operation method
- Main features
- Technical Parameters
- Development Prospects
- Complementary applications
- Business operation
- Build IoT
What is Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi also known as Action Hotspot is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance manufacturers as a brand certification for their products and is a wireless LAN technology created from the IEEE 802.11 standard. Wi-Fi is often written as WiFi or Wifi, but they are not recognized by the Wi-Fi Alliance.
Not every product that matches IEEE 802.11 applies for certification by the Wi-Fi Alliance, and the relative lack of Wi-Fi certification does not necessarily mean that it is not compatible with Wi-Fi devices.
IEEE 802.11 devices are already installed in many products on the market, such as personal computers, game consoles, MP3 players, smartphones, tablets, printers, laptops, and other peripheral devices that can access the Internet wirelessly.
The Wi-Fi Alliance was founded in 1999 as the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA). In October 2002, the name was officially changed to Wi-Fi Alliance.
Other names are wireless broadband, wireless network
Wi-Fi serves to connect electronic terminals to each other wirelessly
The term Wi-Fi is commonly misunderstood to mean Wireless Fidelity and even the Wi-Fi Alliance itself often uses the term Wireless Fidelity in press releases and documents, and Wi-Fi appears in an ITAA paper. But the fact is that the term Wi-Fi has no meaning and is not written in full.
WiFi Advantages
A. Wide coverage of radio waves.
The coverage of radio waves based on Bluetooth technology is very small, with a radius of only about 50 feet or so, or about 15 meters, while the radius of Wi-Fi is up to about 300 feet, or about 100 meters, it is available in the whole building.
B. Transmission speed is very fast.
Although the quality of wireless communication transmitted by WiFi technology is not very good, data security performance is worse than Bluetooth, the transmission quality also needs to be improved, but the transmission speed is very fast, can reach 54mbps, in line with the needs of individuals and social information technology.
C. The threshold for manufacturers to enter the field is relatively low.
Manufacturers only need to set up hotspots in more crowded places such as airports, stations, coffee shops, libraries, etc., and connect the Internet to the above places through high-speed lines. In this way, as the radio waves emitted from the hotspots can reach places with a radius of tens to 100 meters from the access point, users can access the Internet at high speed as long as they get their wireless LAN-enabled laptops or PDAs in the area.
D. No wiring required.
The main advantage of WiFi is that it does not require wiring and can be free from the constraints of wiring conditions, so it is ideal for mobile office users and has a broad market prospect. It has expanded from traditional health care, inventory control, and management services to more industries, and has even begun to enter the home and educational institutions.
1. Technology principle
Wireless network in the category of wireless LAN refers to wireless compatibility certification, which is essentially a commercial certification, and also a wireless networking technology.
Previously, computers were connected through network cables, while Wi-Fi is connected to the network through radio waves; it is common to see a wireless router, then all the effective range covered by the radio waves of this wireless router can be connected by Wi-Fi connection if the wireless router is connected to an ADSL line or another Internet line, it is also known as a hotspot.
2. Main functions
Wi-Fi can be simply understood as wireless Internet access. Almost all smartphones, tablets, and laptops support Wi-Fi Internet access, which is one of the most widely used wireless network transmission technologies today.
It is actually a wired network signal that is converted into a wireless signal, as introduced at the beginning for everyone, using a wireless router for reception by computers, cell phones, tablets, etc. that support its technology. If the cell phone has Wi-Fi capabilities, it can access the Internet without the mobile connection network when there is a Wi-Fi wireless signal, saving traffic costs.
The main advantage of Wi-Fi is that it does not require wiring and can be free of wiring conditions, so it is ideal for mobile office users, and because the transmit signal power is less than 100mw, lower than the cell phone transmit power, so Wi-Fi Internet access is relatively also the safest and healthiest.
But Wi-Fi signal is also provided by the wired network, such as home ADSL, community broadband, etc., just connect a wireless router, and you can convert the wired signal into a Wi-Fi signal.
3. Application areas
3.1 Network Media
Since the frequency band of wireless networks does not require any telecom operation license worldwide, WLAN wireless devices provide a wireless air interface that is available worldwide at extremely low cost and high data bandwidth. Users can quickly browse the web and receive and make phone calls anytime, anywhere in the Wi-Fi coverage area.
Some other WLAN-based broadband data applications, such as streaming media, online games, and other features are worthy of user expectations. Wi-F technology, like Bluetooth technology, is a short-range wireless technology used in offices and homes.
3.2 Handheld devices
Wireless networks are increasingly used in handheld devices, and smartphones are one of them. Unlike Bluetooth technology, which was applied to cell phones earlier, Wi-Fi has a larger coverage area and higher transmission rate, so Wi-Fi phones became a fashionable trend in the mobile communication industry in 2010.
3.3 Daily Leisure
In 2010, the coverage of wireless networks is becoming more and more extensive in China, with Wi-Fi interfaces available in senior hotels, luxury residential areas, airports, and areas like cafes.
The scale commercial application of wireless networks is a rare and successful precedent in the world. The problem is focused on two aspects:
First, the large operators do not recognize this model;
Second, the lack of an effective business model. However, wireless LAN based on wireless network technology has become increasingly popular, which means that it can be applied very easily in the future.
Once the existence of Wi-Fi networks in public places, solving the problem of interconnection, high charges, and the roaming nature of operators, Wi-Fi will be transformed from a successful technology to a successful business in the future.
The People’s Daily official release states that on September 16, 2019, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced the launch of the Wi-Fi 6 certification program, according to the official website of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
Compared with the previous generation of Wi-Fi technology standards, Wi-Fi 6 offers a forty percent increase in data transfer speed, the ability to support augmented and virtual reality (AR / VR), and expanded network capacity, allowing us to enjoy quality network services even when we are in a crowded train station.
3.4 Passenger Trains
At 14:20 on November 28, 2014, China’s first passenger train with WiFi service, the Guangzhou to Hong Kong Kowloon T809 through train, departed from Guangzhou East Station, marking the beginning of the WiFi (wireless network) era on Chinese railroads.
After the launch of WiFi on the train, you can not only watch HD cinema and play community games on the internal LAN of the train, but also reach the external network directly, brush microblogs and send emails, and connect with the world at a bandwidth speed of 10 to 50 megabytes.
4. Composition structure
The basic equipment for setting up a wireless network is a wireless network card and an AP so that you can share network resources in a wireless mode with the existing wired structure, and the cost and complexity of setting up are much lower than that of a traditional wired network.
AP is short for Access Point. It mainly plays the role of a bridge between wireless workstations and wired local area networks in the Media Access Control layer MAC. With an AP, just like a Hub in a general wired network, wireless workstations can be connected to the network quickly and easily. Especially for broadband use, Wi-Fi is even more advantageous.
After the wired broadband network (ADSL, cell LAN, etc.) arrives at the home, connect to an AP, and then install a wireless network card in the computer. An ordinary household with an AP is sufficient, and even the user’s neighborhood is authorized to access the Internet in a shared way without adding ports.
4.1 Hardware Devices
With the continuous rise and development of wireless networks, the application area of a wireless network module is quite extensive in 2010!
But the Wi-Fi module is after all a product of high-frequency nature, it is not like ordinary consumer electronic products, the production design will have some inexplicable phenomena and problems, so some engineers without high-frequency design experience struggle with the relevant experience practitioners, often also need to assist in the analysis with the help of expensive equipment.
For the wireless network part of the processing, there is a direct Wi-Fi part Layout to the PCB motherboard design, this design, needs courage and technology because the price of the module itself is not high, the motherboard corresponds to the price of the product is not expensive when there is a problem arising from the Wi-Fi part, debugging and replacement are more troublesome, direct scrap.
Unfortunately, so many designs are willing to use the modular Wi-Fi part so that you can directly make the Wi-Fi part modular, easy to handle, and the module can be directly disassembled, for the product design risk and specific wear and tear is also a great help.
Specific hardware design should be related to Wi-Fi module consultation, to consider clearly the following aspects.
Communication interface:
2010 is basically in the form of the USB interface, PCI-E and SDIO are also a small part of the PCI-E market share should not be large, all-in-one expensive, and not very practical, integrated many functions will not be used, in fact, is also a waste.
Power supply:
Most of them are powered directly with 5V, some will also use the motherboard design in the power-sharing, direct 3.3V power supply.
Antenna processing form:
Can have a built-in PCB on-board antenna or ceramic antenna; can also be through the I-PEX connector, connect the antenna extension cable, and then let the antenna external.
Specification size:
This can be based on the specific design requirements, basically the onboard antenna and ceramic antenna, there are also external antenna connectors.
The form of connection with the motherboard: can be directly SMT, also can do plug-in connection through 2.54 rows of pins (this kind of assembly/maintenance convenience).
4.2 Network protocol
A Wi-Fi connection points to network members and structure stations, the most basic components of the network.
The basic Service Set (BSS) is the most basic service unit of the network. The simplest service unit can consist of only two stations. Sites can be dynamically associated (Associate) to the BSS.
Distribution System (DS). The distribution system is used to connect the different basic service units. The medium used by the distribution system (Medium) is logically separate from the medium used by the basic service unit, although they may be physically the same medium, such as the same radio band.
Access Point (AP). The access point has both the identity of a normal site and the function of access to the distribution system.
Extended Service Set (ESS). A combination of a distribution system and a basic service unit. This combination is logical, not physical – the different basic service units may be geographically distant from each other. The distribution system can also use a variety of technologies.
The gatekeeper (Portal), too, is a logical component. It is used to connect a wireless LAN to a wired LAN or another network.
There are three types of media here, the media used by the site for wireless, the media used by the distribution system, and the media used by other LANs that are integrated with the wireless LAN. Physically they may overlap each other.
IEEE802.11 is only responsible for addressing the wireless media used at the site. Addressing distribution systems and other LANs is outside the scope of the WLAN.
IEEE802.11 does not define the distribution system specifically but only defines the services that the distribution system should provide. There are 9 services defined for the whole wireless LAN.
5 services belong to the tasks of the distribution system, namely, Association, Disassociation, Distribution, Integration, and re-association.
Four services belong to the tasks of the site, namely Authentication, de-authentication, Privacy, and MAC MSDU delivery.
4.3 Main Differences
Wi-Fi, like Bluetooth technology, belongs to the same short-range wireless technology and is a network transmission standard. In daily life, it has long been commonly used and has brought great convenience to people.
5. Operation method
Collaboration with non-Wi-Fi networks
If you are a T-Mobile Wi-Fi subscriber, but you are currently in the range of a hotspot provided by another carrier, then you are not able to use Wi-Fi. In the future, your Wi-Fi device will be able to look up extranet (other carrier’s wireless network) services and have secure access, and your user identity will roam with you, enabling you to use a variety of different Wi-Fi services.
5.1 Self-managed clients
Wi-Fi device manufacturers have thought of many ways to make their devices work more intelligently with wireless access points, and the management of wireless access points themselves is quite mature, but the management of wireless clients is still blank.
If you adopt new Wi-Fi management protocols for both access points and clients, the collaboration between them will be more interesting.
Imagine your netbook Wi-Fi adapter, or Wi-Fi VoIP phone saving power when not sending and receiving wireless signals, or sharing only location data. access points can redirect a Wi-Fi voice conference to a more desirable neighboring access point, or to a less loaded access point. the Wi-Fi network can locate a client’s location. outside a building, for example, or on the street, and can grant client connectivity operations based on this data.
The 802.11v standard will have many enhancements in Wi-Fi management, which will add an array of counters for statistics collection, increase power management, improve battery life, and improve location data support.
Client coordination is also being addressed by the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi Multimedia Admission Control specification, which allows wireless networks to negotiate and manage streaming sessions so that high-definition video does not cut off Wi-Fi voice sessions at the same access point. The Wi-Fi Alliance is considering specific Wi-Fi specifications for management purposes, primarily borrowing from several related IEEE standards and then adding additional wireless management features.
5.2 Improved Mobility
RF management was lacking in previous standards because access points and clients were often unaware of each other and of adjacent wireless devices, which were only aware of their own radio wave frequencies, a limitation that made trying to manage RF difficult as well.
For example, when a Wi-Fi phone enters the range of an access point, it triggers a blind search process so that the device and the network can collaborate better, while the Wi-Fi access point can know the RF environment to the client, identify weak or insufficient coverage, and then take steps to optimize the connection.
The IEEE 802.11k wireless resource management standard, released in 2011, addresses this issue by improving mobility through intelligent RF (radio frequency) management.
Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi Alliance used some of the features of 11k to conceptualize its Voice Enterprise certification, with the goal of optimizing call quality in large-scale, enterprise-class voice-over Wi-Fi environments.
5.3 Personal Area
Wi-Fi is an end-to-end connection, the future of Wi-Fi networks, where your device can connect directly to other client devices no matter where you are.
The Wi-Fi Alliance’s newly announced Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) project will allow the Wi-Fi card on your laptop to bypass the access point and connect directly to a wireless printer, digital camera, projector, sensor, or plasma screen. As an industry specification, WFD will introduce a new protocol implementation in the firmware so that no hardware changes are required.
Also, Wi-Fi access points can be turned into point-to-point connection engines through the 802.11z standard, which will provide extensions for direct connection configurations where a client device requests permission from an access point to connect directly to another nearby client device, but the data does not pass through the access point, and the client remains connected to the access point, which provides a full set of security and management services.
5.4 Wi-Fi Sharing Methods
In the absence of a Wi-Fi device, you can use the dos command that comes with Win7 to transform your laptop into a wireless AP transmitter. to provide Internet access to devices such as iPhone and Pad.
6. Main features
We analyze the unique features of Wi-Fi from bandwidth, signal, power consumption, security, network integration, personal service, mobile features, and client-side.
6.1 Wider Bandwidth
Although the IEEE launched two projects intended to increase the 802.11 standard data rate to a gigabit or several gigabits, so far have not yet formed the first draft.
More practical is the 802.11n standard will increase the data rate by a level, and can adapt to different features and equipment, all 11n wireless transceiver devices support two spatial data streams and send and receive data can use two or three antenna combinations.
Soon there will be chips that support three or four data streams, and data rates can reach 450Mbps and 600Mbps respectively.
You can connect these high-end nodes through the 802.11s standard to form an Internet-like Wi-Fi network with redundancy capabilities.
6.2 Stronger RF signal
More optional performance features in 11n will be available in the wireless chips, which can be used by wireless clients and wireless access points to make the radio frequency (RF) signal more resilient, stable, and reliable, in other words, more like a wire.
The new 11n physical layer technology will make Wi-Fi more powerful, in a given range of data transmission rates higher, longer transmission distance.
These performance features include low-density parity codes for improved error correction, transmit beamforming, which uses feedback from Wi-Fi clients to allow a single access point to focus on the client’s RF signal, and space-time packet coding (STBC), which uses multiple antennas to improve signal reliability.
6.3 Wi-Fi consumes less power
802.11n delivers significant innovations in power consumption and management that not only extend the battery life of Wi-Fi smartphones, but can also be embedded into other devices such as medical monitoring devices, building control systems, real-time location tracking tags, and consumer electronics. Data can be constantly monitored and collected and can be personalized based on the user’s identity and location.
6.4 Improved security
The most devastating impact of the Internet is on users through identity theft, denial of service attacks, invasion of privacy, spying, and lack of appropriate means of trust. Mobile networks make this worse, potentially exposing users to devastating risks if they trust the currently open Wi-Fi connection.
The IEEE has approved the 802.11w standard, which protects wireless management frames and makes wireless links work better.
Wi-Fi will use identity-based security, where security policies are associated with users rather than with ports in Wi-Fi networks, which has the advantage that users can move around their homes, offices, hotels, branch offices, and public places without security being compromised.
7. Technical Parameters
7.1 Types of authentication
The types of authentication published by the former Wi-Fi Alliance are as below shows.
WPA/WPA2
WPA/WPA2 is a test procedure established for products based on IEEE802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g single-mode, dual-mode, or dual-band. The content includes verification of communication protocols, verification of wireless network security mechanisms, and network transmission performance and compatibility testing.
WMM (Wi-Fi MultiMedia)
When audio and video multimedia is delivered through wireless networks, the purpose of WMM testing is to verify whether the bandwidth guarantee mechanism works properly on different wireless network devices and different security settings.
WMM Power Save
How to extend the battery life by managing the standby time of wireless network devices without affecting their functionality when delivering multimedia over wireless networks can be verified through WMM Power Save testing.
WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)
This is a certification released in 2007 to allow consumers to set up their wireless network devices in a simpler way and to ensure a certain level of security. The current WPS allows the use of Pin Input Config (PIN), Push Button Config (PBC), USB Flash Drive Config (UFD), and Near Field Communication, Contactless Token Config (NFC) to set up wireless network devices.
ASD (Application Specific Device)
This is for wireless network devices that have special applications other than wireless network access points and stations, such as DVD players, projectors, printers, etc.
CWG (Converged Wireless Group)
This is a test procedure for measuring the RF portion of Wi-Fi mobile converged devices.
7.2 Channel Frequency
Channel frequency points (MHz)
2412MHz, 2417MHz, 2422MHz, 2427MHz, 2432MHz, 2437MHz, 2442MHz, 2447MHz, 2452MHz, 2457MHz, 2462MHz, 2467MHz, 2472MHz, 2484MHz
8. Development Prospects
Converged 3G
From the comprehensive analysis of coverage, transmission rate, basic service category, moveable rate, forward expansion, and evolutionary direction, 3G and WLAN are a kind of complementary relationships that can build on their strengths and avoid their weaknesses.
For technologies such as GPRS, CDMA1x, 1xRTT, EV-DO, EV-DV, etc., the symmetry of data services on the upper and lower links is a clear advantage of Wi-Fi.
For 3G indoor 2Mbit data rate, Wi-Fi also has an absolute advantage. It currently adopts the 802.11b standard with theoretical data rates up to 11Mbit, and the actual physical layer data rate supports 1, 2, 5.5, and 11Mbit adjustable, with a coverage range from 100-300m.
With the development and improvement of 802.11g/a, 802.16e, 802.11i, WiMAX, and other technologies and protocol standards, coupled with the Wi-Fi Alliance’s rapid responsiveness to the market, Wi-Fi is entering a phase of rapid development.
Among them, 802.16 (WiMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), the successor standard developed as 802.11b, has been officially approved in January 2003, although it adopts a different frequency band from 802.11b (10 -66GHz), as a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN) technology, it can complement 802.11b/g/a wireless access hotspots to build a broadband wireless technology with full metropolitan coverage.
As a wireless extension of Cable and DSL, Wi-Fi/WiMAX’s mobility and flexibility provide true wireless broadband access services for mobile users, enabling an extension of the bandwidth characteristics and QoS quality of service of traditional broadband access technologies.
For Wi-Fi technology, aspects such as roaming, switching, security, and interference are the key points to be considered when operators set up their networks.
With the increase in backbone transmission network capacity and transmission rate, neither the planar nor the two-layer architecture will affect the fast access to broadband for users.
With the improvement of IAPP and MobileIP technology, the development of IPv6 can also finally solve the problem of roaming and switching; the generation of the 802.11i standards will provide more security strategies including WPA2, multimedia authentication, etc.
The continuous maturity of networking solutions and interference pre-detection mechanisms can reduce the interference brought by the development of frequency resources.
The market goal of Wi-Fi/WiMAX is to become a broadband wireless access metropolitan area network technology, the basic goal is to provide a metropolitan area network point-to-multipoint multi-vendor environment that can effectively interoperate broadband wireless access means to achieve the 3G standard to meet the basic mode of wireless wide area network WWAN, public voice, and multimedia data as the content, roaming around the world personal cell phone terminal Wi-Fi/WiMAX can also be used as a supplement to 3G wireless wide area/metro area and multi-point base station interconnection support.
The development direction of Wi-Fi/WiMAX includes network technologies that cover a larger area, from hotspots to hot zones to entire cities; Wi-Fi handheld terminals and VoWLAN services are bound to become potential application modes; IP-based Wi-Fi/WiMAX switching technologies and open service platforms will make WLAN networks smarter and easier to manage; multi-level security policies based on (WEP, WPA, WPA2, AES, VPN, etc.) to provide different levels of security solutions, which will enable enterprises and individual users to choose the security policy that meets their needs according to different cost performance.
Shared and open service platform and operation support system
The different bearing characteristics of Wi-Fi/WiMAX and 3G (throughput, delay, QoS, symmetry, etc.) provide more access options for users to enjoy voice, data, and multimedia services; they can achieve interoperability between networks through a common open service platform that integrates different service engines; according to the performance within the network service area, users can manually or automatically choose to access that network; at the same time, The operation support system supporting WLAN and 3G networks can realize unified operation management, billing and even user identity authentication for both networks, minimizing network construction and maintenance costs.
9. Complementary applications
The two network technologies will achieve partial convergence in the development of mobile communication technology, each playing to their strengths and avoiding their weaknesses, and the complementary trend is concentrated in the following areas.
9.1 Voice and VoWLAN
Compared with 3G technology, which meets the needs of large call volume and multiple users, WLAN network based on IP technology is more suitable for broadcasting type voice services (PTT, multi-party conference, long-distance call, advertisement release, etc.).
9.2 Data services under wide area coverage and area coverage
Compared with 3G technology, which has a large coverage area and can maintain a 144kbit data rate even when moving fast, WLAN technology has absolute advantages in meeting users’ demand for high-speed data transmission in a specific area.
9.3 Utilization of wireless channel resources
The frequency resources allocated by 3G are limited, and the data service occupies the channel at an extremely high rate, affecting the number of voice users it can access at the same time. If data services are planned to be transferred to public data channels of Wi-Fi/WiMAX in specific areas (such as crowded areas in commercial centers) it will undoubtedly greatly improve the utilization of 3G wireless network resources.
9.4 Handheld terminal and Laptop/PDA combination
Laptop/PDA with the high transmission data rate, Always Online and low usage fee can meet the needs of business users with a large amount of information, and 3G handheld terminal which is more convenient and compact to carry can meet the needs of individual users for fast messages.
9.5 Mobile phone and computer connection no longer need to be wired, wireless all can be done.
10. Business operation
Many current smartphones and most tablet PCs support Wi-Fi Internet access, and Wi-Fi is what most people currently want to be able to search at any time. It is not only a supplement to wireless broadband access services but also an important part of the operator’s innovative operations.
From the global Wi-Fi business development, only relying on the provision of single wireless broadband access to achieve a profitable way, basically can not support the development of Wi-Fi business. The Wi-Fi advertising model is clearly a mature and operational model, and the exploration of the Wi-Fi advertising model is showing the following new directions.
Direction 1, Regional Electronic Map
Direction 2, personalized Portal page
Direction 3, Geolocation
Wi-Fi operators can segment different hotspots through IP and VLAN, which can effectively segment the customer base, so that the customer base of different hotspots and different scenes present different consumption characteristics, thus meeting the requirements of advertisers for precise targeting of customer groups.
With the acceleration of Wi-Fi network construction, there will be more and more hotspots, and innovative Wi-Fi applications based on wireless Internet access will definitely have a larger market space.
11. Build IoT
5G embedded Wi-Fi module application car network
The Internet of Things and other information technology is the means and tools for building smart cities and is the infrastructure that carries the construction of smart cities. In today’s increasingly developed Internet technology, new technologies such as cloud computing, Internet of Things, and Internet of Vehicles are emerging, and these new technologies also feed the Internet, allowing the Internet technology itself to gain unprecedented rapid development.
The vehicle is an important part of the city, China’s total motor vehicle ownership has reached 233 million, second only to the United States, and based on this huge car ownership, car networking was born.
Behind such a considerable number, it brings a variety of problems, such as traffic congestion, environmental pollution, etc. Telematics serves as an important driving force to build a smart city in China, and the increase in customers and rising demand provides a commercial market for the development of Telematics.
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