What is WiFi?
Wi-Fi is widely installed in cafe’s, shopping centres, airports and many other public buildings. If you have seen someone at your local coffee shop surfing the internet on a laptop computer, they are probably using a Wi-Fi network.
WiFi (Wi-Fi), also spelled Wifi or WiFi, is a popular technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data or connect to the internet wirelessly using radio waves. The name is a trademark name, and was stated to be a play on the audiophile term Hi-Fi. The Wi-Fi Alliance defines Wi-Fi as any “wireless local area network (WLAN) products that are based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) 802.11 standards”. However, since most modern WLANs are based on these standards, the term “Wi-Fi” is used in general English as a synonym for “WLAN”. Only Wi-Fi products that complete Wi-Fi Alliance interoperability certification testing successfully may use the “Wi-Fi CERTIFIED” trademark.
You can connect many devices such as personal computers, video-game consoles, smartphones, some digital cameras, tablet computers and digital audio players. These can connect to a network resource such as the Internet via a wireless network access point. Such an access point (or hotspot) has a range of about 20 meters (65 feet) indoors and a greater range outdoors.
What is Hotspot?
A hotspot is a physical location that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network (WLAN) through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider. Hotspots typically use Wi-Fi technology.
Hotspots may be found in coffee shops and various other public establishments in many developed urban areas throughout the world. A hotspot is differentiated from a wireless access point, which is the hardware device used to provide the wireless network service.
Hotspot coverage can comprise an area as small as a single room with walls that block radio waves, or as large as many square miles achieved by using multiple overlapping access points. Wi-Fi can be less secure if no security is in place, than wired connections such as Ethernet because an intruder does not need a physical connection.
WiFi Advantages
Wi-Fi allows cheaper deployment of local area networks (LANs). Also spaces where cables cannot be run, such as outdoor areas and historical buildings, can host wireless LANs. Manufacturers are building wireless network adapters into most laptops. The price of chipsets for Wi-Fi continues to drop, making it an economical networking option included in even more devices.
Different competitive brands of access points and client network-interfaces can inter-operate at a basic level of service. Products designated as “Wi-Fi Certified” by the Wi-Fi Alliance are backwards compatible. Unlike mobile phones, any standard Wi-Fi device will work anywhere in the world.
WiFi Health Risks
There is much noise about WiFi and associated health risks. Most of these are generally myths. It is understood to be very low risk and not an issue at all to human health.
Users of wireless devices are typically exposed for much longer periods than for mobile phones and the strength of wireless devices is not significantly less.
As wireless routers are typically located significantly farther away from users’ heads than a mobile phone the user is handling, resulting in far less exposure overall. The Health Protection Agency in the US claims that if a person spends one year in a location with a Wi-Fi hotspot, they will receive the same dose of radio waves as if they had made a 20-minute call on a mobile phone.
Everyday WiFi
Today in everyday life we are around WiFi devices and assoicated Emissions. Devices with Everyday WiFi are Microwaves, Garage Door openers, mobile phones, Laptops and tablets and remote controllers all have WiFi with different levels of strengths.
WiFi References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_electronic_devices_and_health
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation_and_health