Some people may consider Wi-Fi advanced for them and others probably take Wi-Fi slightly for granted. The truth is, home Wi-Fi has been around since 1991 and was even created before then. Wi-Fi has opened up the world so much since it has been improved. Many people have the luxury of working remotely in foreign countries thanks to Wi-Fi. We can roam around our house with our tablets, laptops and enjoy the Internet from pretty much anywhere in our home. Although Wi-Fi may not be perfect yet, it still helps us expand our minds and discover new Internet avenues.

The beginning of Wi-Fi

Transmitting waves of information was not new, by any means, when Wi-Fi started its journey. Take, for example, the walkie-talkies, CB radios, and satellites to be basic. 802.11-1997 (802.11 legacy) is probably the first real Wi-Fi. Although it is numbers, it represents the microwave transmission over the Industrial Scientific Medical frequency band at 2.4 GHz. In 1999, Wi-Fi got a little bit better and, thereafter, the experts perfected Wi-Fi and made Wi-Fi what it is today. Of course, we still can use longer distances, but the experts are working on it.

Ways we use Wi-Fi

We use Wi-Fi for various reasons, such as streaming videos and games to our tablets and laptops. Just being able to use the Internet while not being connected to the wall is the widest use of Wi-Fi around the world. This allows for comfortable Internet use from the comfort of the couch or against the headboard of a hotel room. We also can save data usage on our cell phone plans by switching our phones to Wi-Fi when we are at home. Wi-Fi is amazing and gives us the freedom to use our digital devices where we want to, not where a wire dictates us to.

Safety with Wi-Fi

As with most things, the Internet brings criminals and thieves trying to take identities, credit card numbers, and vital information for their financial gain. How safe is Wi-Fi you might wonder? You always want your router on WPA/WPA2. Most Internet has some type of encryption, but you want to have the most security you can. Always encrypt your passwords and make difficult passwords so computers can’t hack you. Yes, it may take longer for you to remember your password. In the long run, the extra security is important. Keep money transactions to a minimum. Protect all your financial information with passwords and locked files. If you have money and good credit, some can potentially target you for your information. Always protect yourself.

Public Wi-Fi safety

Install a VPN or a virtual private network on your devices before using public Wi-Fi. This somewhat hides the information you send over the Internet when on a public network. Limit your use of public Wi-Fi. Only use public Wi-Fi for simple things and try not to give credit card numbers and social security numbers over these networks. Only use Wi-Fi at reputable places. Smaller businesses you are not familiar with may be connected to people you do not want looking at your information. The best thing to do is to use your own private Wi-Fi for major transactions and important information usage. Although the Internet is amazing and allows us the freedom we want, we still have to protect ourselves in the same way we would when we are in public, keeping secure all our valid information that is connected to our finances.

Wi-Fi continues to be a vital part of our lives today. Who knows what someone will come up next to make use of Wi-Fi in amazing ways. Just using Wi-Fi to read a book or chat with friends is an amazing and comforting experience as well. We are very lucky to be in an era that allows us the freedom we have today. We can never lose sight of protecting ourselves from those who don’t want to work in an honest way for their money. So when in doubt on Wi-Fi, wait until you get home to use it. For the most part, people are protecting us every day on the Internet so we can enjoy the Internet thanks to Wi-Fi.