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Wireless Internet - What Is It?

Wireless Internet refers to the process, or products supporting the process, of communicating from a remote device, such as a Palm, Windows CE device, or a laptop, to a central receiver via radio waves (usually on the 2.4 GHz bands), that is connected to the Internet. Wireless Internet is sometimes referred to as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), especially in the case of the name "wi-fi hotspot", a location where one can access the Internet wirelessly.

To access the Internet via wi-fi, your device must be wi-fi enabled, either by a built-in connection or an add-on card such as a wi-fi PCMCIA adapter. Usually it must run with the 802.11b protocol, operating at 11 Megabits Per Second (Mbps), or 802.11g, operating at 54 Mbps. Most devices supporting 802.11g are backwards compatible, so that if you bring a 802.11g device to a 802.11b-enabled wi-fi hotspot, your device should step down to the 802.11b protocol.

Once you have the correct device, the correct adapters (if applicable) and correct software drivers (if applicable), you need to find a place that is wi-fi enabled. If you have an Internet connection at home via DSL or Cable, you can purchase a wireless router so that you can connect to the Internet from virtually anywhere in your house. Venturing outside the home, you must either find a wi-fi hotspot to which you can connect, or reside in an area supported by a wireless ISP (WISP).