Wireless Internet is one of the most common staples in any household that for some people, it might be bizarre to imagine a time when there was no wireless Internet. Wireless Internet is, as the name suggests, Internet that can be used via a computer without having to be hardwired to the router. In other words, the wireless Internet sends out signals that computers pick up and that can be used to upload and download information. While not as fast as a wired Internet connection, wireless Internet has proven to be incredibly beneficial in making Internet more mobile.

How Does Wireless Internet Work?

For a wireless Internet network to work, what it requires is a modem that is hardwired and then a router connected to that modem. The modem brings the Internet into the house and then it is relayed to the router which can then send signals out to the rest of the house. The way it works is simple. As the Internet goes into the router, it is relayed out in radio waves throughout the house. If there is a computer with a wireless card inside it, the Internet can be picked up.

There are different types of wireless Internet, though, and it depends on the Internet card and how it is configured with the router. The most common types of routers are b and g; however, a has been used and n is becoming more of a contender. Typically, wireless cards are able to read multiple router's outputs and therefore it is common to see an abg card.

The primary disadvantages to wireless Internet is that, if you can pick the Internet up, someone else can as well. What this means is that since the router can send a signal out to about 100 feet in all directions, the Internet can be "stolen" by other sources within that vicinity. Therefore, to combat that this, it is important to set up a password so that whenever someone wants to access your wireless Internet, they have to punch this password in.

Fundamentally, wireless Internet works by sending a signal out that a computer card picks up. This signal allows the user to access the Internet. As the user does things on the Internet, it is sent back to the router and then through the modem. In other words, there is a consistent stream of data going to and from the router through these waves.