What is WiFi?

The term WiFi stands for a network standard with which devices are certified by the WiFi Alliance. Although the terms WiFi and WLAN are often used synonymously, WiFi only stands for a specific type of WLAN.

What exactly is WiFi?

WiFi, in essence, is primarily a brand name associated with the WiFi Alliance. This name is linked to WLAN devices certified by this organization, adhering to the IEEE 802.11 standard. This standard is used for devices that can interact with other devices in a wireless network while meeting certain security and quality characteristics. To be officially labeled as “WiFi”, a device must receive certification from the WiFi Alliance. Colloquially, however, the term WiFi is used for any form of wireless network and thus as a synonym for WLAN.

What does WiFi mean?

The term WiFi is derived from “wireless fidelity”. It was invented by a consulting agency and is intended to be reminiscent of the well-known term “HiFi”. The aim was to create a higher recognition value for the bulky IEEE 802.11 designation. The WiFi Alliance initially promoted their standard with the advertising slogan “The Standard for Wireless Fidelity” which eventually evolved into the catchy name we use today for wireless networks. The WiFi Alliance itself is a consortium made up of over 300 companies. The goal of this alliance was to establish a uniform standard that would ensure compatibility between different manufacturers.

WiFi vs. WLAN – what’s the difference?

Although the terms WiFi and WLAN are often used synonymously, this is not entirely correct. WLAN stands for “Wireless Local Area Network” which refers to a network connecting devices to the internet wirelessly. WiFi, as mentioned earlier, is a specific type of WLAN certified according to the IEEE 802.11 standard. It’s important to note that while WiFi is a type of WLAN, not all WLANs are WiFi. WiFi is the most widely used standard for wireless networking globally.

What is WiFi 6?

Originally, there was only one WiFi standard according to which all corresponding devices were certified. These devices were allowed to carry the “WiFi certified” seal after a test by the WiFi Alliance. However, since the different generations became more and more differentiated over time, the WiFi Alliance decided in 2018 to take these differences into account for certification. Because the official designations, such as IEEE 802.11n or IEEE 802.11ac, were identified as too unwieldy here, the WiFi generations were numbered instead. They differ primarily in their theoretically achievable speed.

While older standards WiFi 1 to WiFi 3 are hardly used today, there are ever more devices using the newest generations WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E, which were introduced in 2021 and can achieve speeds of between 600 and 9,608 MBit per second. WiFi 4, introduced in 2009 with a speed capacity of up to 600 Mbit/s, and WiFi 5, which made its debut in 2013 with speeds reaching up to 6,933 Mbit/s, continue to be prevalent in current networks. WiFi 7 has already been announced for 2024.