Wi-Fi. Most devices connect to the
internet using Wi-Fi or wireless
fidelity. It's used everywhere from
homes to offices and cafes to airports
as it allows devices to communicate over
distances of up to a few hundred ft. The
technology behind Wi-Fi began in the
1990s with a project aimed at improving
phone connectivity. The breakthrough
came when engineers at the Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research
Organization in Australia developed a
technology that would eventually lay the
foundation for modern Wi-Fi. In 1997,
the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers released the
802.11 standard, the technical framework
behind this technology, quickly making
it the most popular wireless networking
technology everywhere with the ability
to support devices like smartphones and
laptops and other internet of things
gadgets. Wi-Fi has transformed the way
we stay connected. Ethernet. While Wi-Fi
connects devices through the air,
Ethernet does it with physical cables,
directly linking them to the network.
It's still widely used in offices and
even in homes where fast, stable
internet is a priority. Ethernet was
invented in 1973 by Robert Metaf, a
computer scientist at Xerox Palo Alto
Research Center as a way to connect
computers in the same building. Back
then, it transmitted data at just 2.94
megabits per second. And fast forward to
today, Ethernet speeds have skyrocketed
to 10 Gbits per second or even more. The
biggest advantage of Ethernet is
stability as it provides more reliable
and faster speeds compared to Wi-Fi.
Because it's wired, there's no
interference from walls or other
devices. You get a consistent internet
connection with low latency, making it
ideal for most online activities. Fiber
optic serving as the backbone of modern
internet infrastructure. Fiber optics
have revolutionized the way we transmit
data. They use light signals to send
information over long distances, making
the connection not only incredibly fast,
but also capable of handling massive
amounts of data with virtually no delay.
The idea dates back to the 1960s when
scientists Charles Cow and George Haw
proposed the idea of using glass fibers
to carry light signals. By the 1980s, it
became a practical reality. And now,
fiber optics drive most of the world's
internet and telecom systems, reaching
blistering speeds of up to 100 Gbits per
second or more. At present, fiber is the
standard in internet service provider
networks. Unlike copper cables, it
delivers high speeds for both downloads
and uploads, even across long distances,
which is why they're so important for
today's growing data needs. Coaxial
cable. Still used for many internet and
cable TV services. Coaxial cable, often
called coaxes, is an older but reliable
wired technology. It's built with a
central copper core surrounded by
insulation layers. The simple but
effective design has kept it relevant
since the 1950s when AT&T developed it
for long-d distanceance telephone lines.
CO is still common in homes up to this
day, especially in areas where fiber
hasn't yet been rolled out. However, it
can suffer from bandwidth sharing issues
because if too many users are online at
once, speeds can drop across the board.
Powerline networking. This is a clever
way to extend your home's network
without running any new cables.
Powerline networking sends data through
the electrical wiring already built into
your walls. Just plug in an adapter and
any outlet becomes a network port. No
drilling and no extra wiring needed. The
idea dates back to the early 2000s when
engineers realized that power cables
could be repurposed to create a home
network, and today it's still one of the
easiest ways to expand your home
network. It's not as fast as Ethernet or
fiber, but it's perfect for areas where
Wi-Fi struggles and rewiring isn't
practical. Digital subscriber line. Back
in the 1980s, DSL emerged as a way to
bring internet access into homes through
telephone lines. Unlike dialup, it lets
people stay online without tying up the
phone line. But DSL has a key limitation
as it is distance sensitive. The farther
you are from the provider's hub, the
slower the connection. Although it's
been surpassed by modern fiber optic or
cable connections in cities, it's still
commonly used in rural areas or regions
where faster options aren't available.
It is affordable and handles everyday
tasks like web browsing and email. but
it struggles with activities that
require high bandwidth like video
streaming or large file downloads.
Cellular networking. Over the years,
cellular networks have evolved from
simple calling and texting to delivering
blazing fast mobile internet. Today,
they're the backbone of wireless
connectivity for smartphones and other
mobile devices. These systems use a
network of radio towers to send signals
across regions, breaking them into cells
to manage and ensure consistent traffic.
The first generation 2G launched in the
1990s marked a major shift for mobile
phones, allowing for calls and basic
texting. Then came 3G in the early
2000s, introducing mobile web browsing
for the first time. But the real leap
came with 4G LTE, which brought fast
internet to smartphones and open the
door to heavy data usage activities. Now
5G is taking things even further with
download speeds up to 100 times faster
than 4G and more reliability. It is a
gamecher for activities like virtual
reality and other high bandwidth
experiences. Satellite internet. It
works by sending data to and from
satellites orbiting the earth making it
one of the few options for people in
remote or rural areas. The technology
became widely available in the late
1990s when providers like DirecTV and
Dish Network started offering basic
internet services via satellite.
Satellite internet tends to be slower
and suffers from higher latency because
signals have to travel such long
distances, but it's still a critical
lifeline where no other infrastructure
exists. Now, newer systems using low
Earth orbit satellites are changing the
game as they offer faster and more
reliable service. Companies like
SpaceX's Starlink are leading the charge
on bringing high-speed internet to even
the most isolated places on Earth.
Bluetooth, a short range wireless
technology used to connect devices over
a small distance, usually 30 ft or less.
Bluetooth is perfect for things like
headphones and fitness trackers or smart
home devices. Unlike older tech like
infrared, Bluetooth doesn't require a
direct line of sight and uses very
little power, making it ideal for
batterypowered devices. The technology
was introduced in 1994 by Ericson to
eliminate the need for cables between
personal devices, and since then it has
evolved dramatically. Today's Bluetooth
5.0 can transmit data over greater
distances and supports multiple devices
simultaneously, making it more versatile
than ever. Near field communication.
This is a super short range wireless
technology that lets devices exchange
data when they're just a few centimeters
apart. Because of that close range, NFC
is fast and secure, perfect for things
like contactless payments and transit
passes. This tech has been around since
the early 2000s, but it took off with
the rise of mobile payments. Today, most
smartphones have NFC builtin, letting
you pay just by tapping your phone. Its
simplicity and security make NFC one of
the most seamless wireless tools in
everyday life. Infrared. Before
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, there was infrared,
an older wireless technology that uses
light signals to transmit data, but only
if the devices have a clear line of
sight. That's why it was perfect for TV
remote controls, but not for complex
networking needs. Infrared communication
dates back to the 1960s, but it didn't
gain widespread popularity until the
1980s with the rise of home electronics.
Over time, faster and more flexible
technologies took over. Today, you'll
still find infrared in some remote
controls and legacy systems like medical
and weather warning devices, but for
most modern networking needs, it's a
thing of the past. ZigGB, another low
power wireless protocol designed for
short-range communication. ZigGB allows
low bandwidth activities between devices
like sensors and smart door locks.
Because of its ultra- low power
consumption, ZigGB is ideal for devices
that run for months on small batteries.
Introduced in 2004 by the Ziggb
Alliance, a group that includes
companies like Texas Instruments and
Phillips. The protocol was created to
support reliable and scalable networks
in connected environments. In addition
to its energy efficiency, ZigGB networks
can support dozens or even hundreds of
devices without compromising
performance, making it a strong
contender for building robust smart home
ecosystems. Z-Wave, similar to ZigGB,
Z-Wave is another wireless technology
used primarily in home automation. It
operates on a different frequency to
reduce interference and extend range,
thus enabling smart devices like
thermostats and lights to form a mesh
network that can be managed remotely
from anywhere in the home. First
introduced by Danish company Zensus in
2001 and later acquired by Silicon Labs
in 2008, the technology is known for its
strong focus on interoperability as it
allows devices from different
manufacturers to work together
seamlessly. While it's not as widely
adopted as some alternatives, Z-Wave
remains a highly secure and
energyefficient option valued for its
standardized communication and
consistent performance in smart home
environments. Laura and Laura Wan. In
environments where low power consumption
and long-distance communication are
needed, a specialized networking
technology such as LoRa and Lauraan is
required. Laura, short for long range,
allows devices to transmit small amounts
of data over several kilometers while
using minimal battery power. Laurowan,
low power, wide area network, acts as
the communication protocol that links
these devices in a scalable
wide-reaching system. This makes them
ideal for internet of things
applications such as smart cities and
agriculture and asset tracking in rural
or remote areas where traditional
networks fall short. Developed by the
Laura Alliance in 2015, this technology
has seen widespread adoption in
industries that require long range
energy efficient communication. Whether
it's tracking livestock or monitoring
city assets, Laurawan is helping drive
smarter and low power connectivity at
scale. Mesh networking. Instead of
depending on one central router, mesh
networks use multiple nodes that work
together to blanket an entire area with
a strong, reliable signal. If one node
goes down, the others keep the network
running so you're always connected. The
setup is perfect for large homes and
offices or even urban environments where
Wi-Fi coverage can be spotty. It's also
scalable as you can add more nodes to
grow coverage. While it feels like a
modern fix, mesh networking began in
military communications where wireless
networks needed to be resilient and
adaptable. LiFi. It might sound like
science fiction, but LiFi or light
fidelity is a real technology being
developed to take wireless data transfer
to the next level. It uses light instead
of radio waves to transmit data.
Conceptualized in 2011 by Professor
Harold Hos at the University of
Edinburgh, LiFi works by rapidly
changing the brightness of LED bulbs.
Then, a photo detector picks up those
changes and converts them back into
data. Because it uses lights, LiFi can
deliver ultra fast speeds with less
interference than Wi-Fi. But there's a
catch. It needs a direct line of sight
to work, meaning walls and obstacles can
potentially block the signal. While it's
still in development, LiFi could become
a gamecher in places like airplanes or
crowded networks where radio signals
struggle. And that's a wrap for the most
notable networking technologies. Hit
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