A Definition of WiFi - And Its Application to VoIP

A definition of Wifi (or Wireless Fidelity) is the technology that was originally licensed to be used for mobile computing devices such as laptops, though more recently it has become a term associated with more generic usage with a variety of other devices.

As you can imagine, the advent of WiFi has led to a number of developments in both the office and personal computing spaces. No longer do companies need to have dozens of network points and Ethernet cables spread all over the office – nowadays, WiFi means that one single router in the building, and the associated software and network card attached to the PC or laptop are sufficient to gain access to the network from anywhere wthin the building.

Similarly, at home, a user can access the internet over a wireless broadband connection without the need for cables - meaning they can use their PC or laptop in any room in the house, as well as connecting to other devices such as printers.

WiFi itself is not really a technology as such, and the definition of WiFi itself is more a brand associated with a set of Standards. It was developed by the WiFi Alliance under the IEEE 802.11 specifications for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN’s).

When originally developed, there were numerous problems with the technology, in that different hardware designers produced products that, whilst branded as ‘WiFi enabled’, didn’t actually communicate with each-other - all had a slightly different definition of WiFi. For that reason, the WiFi Alliance established the set of Standards, in order to address the needs of the consumer. This led to the ‘WIFI Certified’ brand, which told the consumer that the product was inter-operable with other WiFi enabled products.

What do you need to get started?

Under our definition of WiFi, the home WiFi equipment required itself is relatively simple, and you’ll need two main devices to make it work :

1. A Wireless router – this acts as the central hub, receiving information from all the connected wireless devices and routing this data to where it needs to go. This router will be connected to your broadband connection via a DSL modem, just as with your normal broadband wired network. This means you have instant access to the Internet.


2. A Wireless Adapter or Network Card within your PC or other device, which allows data to be sent to the Wireless Router for onward transmission. In most cases, this hardware is relatively cheap, and comes with the appropriate software to get started.

Most broadband providers will also class themselves as WiFi Service Providers, in that the broadband connection itself can easily be connected to a wireless router. Compatibility of routers with PC’s/Laptops is normally straight-forward, though beware that some routers require a WiFi USB antenna connection to the ADSL modem, whilst others work on an Ethernet-type connection.

What about outside the office/home?

Our definition of WiFi referred strictly to a Wireless LAN that would operate within your home or office building. However, nowadays, one of the major advantages of owning a Wi-Fi enabled device is the ability to ‘roam’ outside the building. It’s right to say that true mobility cannot be achieved through WiFi itself, due to the relatively short range of the signal, and therefore the pure number of open-channel Wi-Fi connections you’d need.

However, a number of cafes, shops and other retail establishments have realised that by offering their premises as a Wi-Fi hotspot (the term used within the definition of WiFi as an area serviced by a Wi-Fi connection), there is a powerful marketing tool for attracting people to their building. Starbucks WiFi is one good example of a global chain who offer such a service. Some of these services are on a paid basis, whereas free public WiFi is becoming more and more prevalent, as these service providers see the benefits of having this competitive advantage.

What about WiFi and VoIP?

Many commentators have cited WiFi and VoIP, when coupled together, as being the most serious competitor to the dominance of the mobile operators in offering true telephony-mobility. Realistically, as mentioned earlier, true mobility in this way depends entirely on being able to access a wireless network wherever you are, which is unrealistic, particularly in areas that are not built up. Wimax will offer a much more powerful proposition once the technology has been fully established. For an insightful article on how Wireless VoIP services are changing the market, Click here.

However, it is immediately possible to use your wireless network for Voice Over IP, just as you would through your normal broadband ADSL connection. Therefore, you could use a wireless VoIP handset in the home or office over the wireless network, and receive as good a quality of call that you would over the standard network.


The Netgear Skype WiFi phone is one example of a VoIP phone on the market that offers the benefits of this technology to the VoIP user.

The advantage of VoIP over WiFi, however, is the fact that you can take your handset with you (for example, to another country), log-on to a local network, say the Starbucks WiFi network, and use your VoIP phone to call anyone in the world. In effect, therefore, you have the ability to roam at a considerably lower rate than you would with your mobile phone provider.

As WiMax technology rolls out, wireless networks will not only be available as a WLAN, but will extend more to a WWAN (wireless wide area network). At the moment, WiMax technology enables the wireless network to extend for more than a 50 mile radius – meaning very powerful competition to the (concerned) mobile operators.

As you can see, the power of wireless networks is growing by the day, meaning the ability not only to access your own network, but also any other network, becomes considerably more straight-forward, and less geographically constrained. Therefore, when referring to the definition of WiFi, the VoIP model is also evolving, and the WiFi VoIP phone will become a more common-place piece of kit.

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