Connectivity between devices improved in recent years, making internet larger than before. Now, everyone can contribute to the network and reap its benefit using a smartphone, PCs, and even a house and a refrigerator because of the Internet of Things or IoT. This is all thanks to a technology known as Wi-Fi. WIth a new way to access the internet, any household can connect to anyone, anywhere in the world. The technology has been changing the way of the digital world.
What is Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is a technology that uses radio waves that enables devices to connect to each other. These devices are then provided with Internet access to connect to the internet and use internet services. A lot of people think that Wi-Fi means “Wireless Fidelity”, however, the word itself was based on the word hi-fi, which is used in high-quality audio reproduction. Wi-Fi’s complete name is the “Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11 Wireless LAN Standards”.
By sending radio waves, Wi-Fi enabled devices which use adapters to translate the radio waves. These devices will then send their answer to the radio waves and will be received by the wireless router. The router will then translate the radio waves into data and sends it to the internet via the physical connection (which is the phone line). Other internet service providers like Optimum already add television and Wi-Fi in their internet services.
Megabyte VS Megabit
Megabyte and Megabit are one of the two most confused words when it comes to ordinary people. Although there is a small difference in the spelling, there is really less difference in the fundamental definition of the two. The usage of the words is where the biggest difference arises.
Computers cannot understand complex letters and processes like a human does, they can only understand “bits” or a series of 1’s and 0’s. A single 1 or a single 0 is called a “bit”, while eight of them combine is a “byte”. 1 megabit contains 1,000,000 bits. Meanwhile, a megabyte is composed of 8 megabits.
The main difference is in the usage of terms. The MB or megabyte is usually used when referring to the transfer speed in hard drive transfers. The Mb (smaller “b” because it is a smaller unit) is used in describing the internet speed or Mbps (megabits per second). A 1Mbps internet connection is not transferring 1MB of data per second, instead, it is transferring 1Mb per second or 0.125MB.
Ideal Speed For Casual Browsing
Casual browsing is activities which don’t require a blazing speed internet. However, the experience is better when the internet is faster. An average webpage is now at 3MB or more, but any speed should work for casual browsing only. Reading websites or writing a recipe can be done with the basic 3Mbps. Downloading a big file is a different story.
Ideal Speed For Video And Audio Streaming
Video streaming and Audio streaming are two different stories. A single hour in Netflix can cause 700MB for the SD resolution. The HD, which is preferred by the majority, can use up to 3GB per hour. When the internet cannot handle the load, buffering will happen. Streaming a movie or a TV show is fine with 3-25Mbps, however, these speed doesn’t provide the optimal experience. 4K streamers should want to aim at a higher speed. Audio streaming will be fine with the minimum 3Mbps. Video calling is also in this category.
Ideal Speed For Gaming
Internet speed is essential when it comes to online games. A typical MOBA (League of Legends) recommends at least 6Mbps to be able to game without lagging. FPS games also recommend at least 6Mbps for the optimal experience. Mobile apps consume fewer data to the optimal speed for this gaming platform is 3Mbps. Downloading updates could take a while if the internet speed is slow, so keep that in mind.
The Risk In Using Public Wi-Fi Networks
Public Wi-Fis are also Wi-Fi networks, but these networks are not as secure than the Wi-Fi network in households. One risk is that public Wi-Fi connections often doesn’t authenticate connections to enable people to connect. These also means that hackers can connect to the network and get useful information from the user. However, a simple Google search (while using SSL connection or VPN) won’t hurt. Just avoid using public Wi-Fi networks for your banking and shopping needs.
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