What Is the Meaning of WiFi? Common WiFi Issues & Troubleshooting

Due to mobility and convenience, WiFi has become more and more popular among Internet users. But have you ever wondered "what is the meaning of WiFi." If yes, then this article is for you. Let's find out together.

WiFi connection

What Is the Meaning of WiFi?

WiFi or Wi-Fi is a networking technology that uses radio waves to allow WiFi-enabled devices, such as TVs, smartphones, tablets, and computers to connect to the Internet without using cables.

As you probably know, the WiFi signals are transmitted from a router to nearby WiFi-enabled devices, which convert the signal into data to use. 

Because they communicate via radio waves, your device and personal information might be at risk from hackers and other cyber threats. That’s why it’s always a good idea to use a strong WiFi security standard on your router to protect the connection.

You can read more in our guide to what is WiFi!

WiFi meaning

How to get WiFi at home?

There are many ways you can get WiFi at home, one of the most popular ones is by using an Internet router.

Use Internet router

What is a WiFi router? It is a WiFi-enabled device that typically connects to a modem and transmits data to mobile devices, desktops, and tablets from the Internet. These Internet-connected devices in your home make up your Local Area Network (LAN).

You can find the best router in another blog post!

If your home has two floors or has a lot of dead zones, consider adding the best WiFi extender that relays the wireless signal to these areas. Remember that as your number of mobile devices increases, so does the need for bandwidth.

How to get WiFi at home?

Portable hotspot device

A portable hotspot is a compact, battery-operated device that sets up a personal wireless network. These devices can connect to the Internet via cellular data and can be shared by several devices. 

For those who regularly travel or who want an Internet connection in places with spotty or nonexistent WiFi, portable hotspots might be a useful choice.

Satellite Internet

Internet connectivity via satellite signals is made possible via satellite Internet. If you live in a remote region without access to other Internet services, this can be a viable option for you. 

However, satellite Internet may be costly and have a lot of latency, so it might not be the best option for activities like online video conferencing and gaming.

Satellite Internet

Neighborly sharing

Asking your neighbors to share their WiFi network with you could be possible if you get along well with them. This may prove to be a financially advantageous choice.

Nevertheless, you should confirm that you comprehend and accept any conditions they impose on network sharing.

USB tethering

With USB tethering, you may share your phone's Internet connection by connecting your laptop to it via a USB cable. This option might be useful if you need to download huge files or take part in video calls because it provides a more reliable connection than WiFi.

USB tethering

Read more: 

• What is a WiFi channel?

• What is WiFi access point?

Common WiFi problems and how to fix them

High WiFi latency (High ping)

This is something you never want to meet while playing video games. 

Real quick, what is WiFi latency? That’s the amount of time it takes for data to pass from sender to receiver, and back to its source. The higher the latency, the poorer the Internet performance.

There are several ways to reduce latency: 

• Use an Ethernet cable 

• Network bandwidth control

• Reposition the WiFi router

You can try Myspeed's WiFi speed test to see if your device is experiencing high latency.

High latency

Your devices can’t connect to the Internet

If everyone in the room can connect to WiFi, but your laptop, phone or PC just can’t, then try the following tips:

• Try disconnecting your device from the Internet, then attempt to reconnect to the WiFi

• Restart your device

Nothing can connect to WiFi

Your phone automatically connects to your home WiFi right away when you get home, but for some reason, the network doesn’t let you on all of a sudden? Or you get a brand new phone, and it can’t connect to your WiFi? And at the same time, other devices are unable to use the connection as well. 

If so, you can fix that issue by trying these ways:

• Restart your device's network driver

• Restart the router

• If nothing works, call your ISP to report the problem

Can’t connect to WiFi

Forgot the WiFi password

You can reset your router if you really can't remember your WiFi password and don't have a note or tag anywhere.

Use a paperclip to press the switch hidden in the small hole on the back of the router for 30 seconds. It will then reset the default to the original default.