It seems that people have forgotten what life would be like without the internet. Even on planes, they still need to connect to the internet to hold a business meeting. Considering factors such as network speed and cost, people tend to choose WiFi networks for connection, and this...

It seems that people have forgotten what life would be like without the internet. Even on planes, they still need to connect to the internet to hold a business meeting. Considering factors such as network speed and cost, people tend to choose WiFi networks for connection, and this...

WLAN wireless devices offer a globally accessible, low-cost, and high-bandwidth wireless interface over the air. However, compared to wired networks, the mobility feature of wireless networks increases the interaction between the physical layer and the protocol layer, thereby adding verification processes and complexity. For instance, a dynamically configured WiFi network enables terminals to address to the AP for network access, but when multiple APs are present, it causes problems for WiFi. The latter needs to choose which AP to associate with by itself, and the AP also needs to correspondingly determine which users are legitimate. In this regard, manufacturers should consider the convenience and intelligence of access during the initial design.

Space for multiple households is prone to congestion.

Generally speaking, wired connections tend to pay less attention to physical security, but wireless connections need to consider the issue of spatial access. A common situation is that when a large number of users are using the same wireless hotspot, since the wireless router provides users with mostly a single channel, as more and more users send and request data through the same channel, the transmission speed gradually slows down, the latency gradually increases, until the maximum bandwidth is reached, resulting in disconnections and disconnections. Sometimes, multiple sites are under the coverage of the same AP, but they cannot share the signal. As a result, multiple parties will send requests to this AP, causing signal overlap. The common scenario of WiFi is multiple users, and this is something that manufacturers should have considered, and users should not have to pay for it.

Movement is both joy and sorrow.

Unlike dedicated cables, the physical layer and protocol layer of wireless networks need to be tested independently, and the actual usage scenarios of the upper layers must be demonstrated. The reason for this is the mobile and dynamic characteristics of WiFi. The operation and maintenance personnel need to test the parameters one by one using radio frequency signals to ensure that some "hidden nodes" also operate normally. For example, when accessing WiFi, the power supply end of the device must have a power management function to achieve energy saving by reducing transmission power when close to the AP. However, there are no such restrictions in wired networks. The low energy consumption of wireless devices is only one aspect, but it is still necessary to ensure the user's experience.

The security protocol needs to be updated.

Not only the communication protocols, but also security protocols pose challenges for WiFi networks. For instance, 802.11ac can achieve a standard rate of over 1000 Mbps, but if using WEP or WPA encryption methods, the data rate will be limited to 54 Mbps. How to solve this? Actually, it's not complicated. Just enable WPA2 by using the Advanced Encryption Standard AES independently. If it's an older terminal, remember to upgrade the firmware version. Of course, adding an adapter to the terminal would be even better, or consider using a wireless bridge with Ethernet connection. Security and performance are not in conflict, and this shouldn't be a choice for users.

The issue of interference should be given due attention.

Has the network channel become unobstructed and the protocol been balanced, then the network speed must be fast? Not necessarily. The interference problem between WiFi networks cannot be ignored either. A report once pointed out that the WiFi issues of most residents were related to interference devices, including wireless phones, surveillance systems, and even microwave equipment. The 802.11 protocol can resist interference to a certain extent, but bypassing or pausing data packet transmission will undoubtedly affect the capacity and performance of the wireless network. For example, a microwave oven generates 50% duty cycle interference. If its frequency is the same as that of the 802.11 wireless access point, it will reduce the network capacity and performance by 50%. Research shows that a microwave oven 25 feet away from the wireless access point will reduce the data throughput by 64%, and a frequency-hopping phone will reduce it by 19%. With an increasing number of IoT products, manufacturers should naturally also think about the users' needs and use technical means to ensure that these connected devices do not interfere with each other.

Epilogue

The seemingly simple issues such as WiFi communication speed and complicated access procedures are actually not so straightforward in their underlying causes. Besides the aforementioned factors, multiple channels in the 5GHz frequency band, correct AP settings, and compatibility with low data rates can all improve the WiFi connection effect. On one hand, users should promptly identify problems with their wireless devices. But on the other hand, it is even more important for manufacturers to consider multiple users when designing wireless access products, so as to minimize users' worries and efforts.