Exploring Our Wi-Fi Technology

Written by James Li

6 min readNov 25, 2023

Intro

After settling into your hotel room, your next priority is probably to type in the Wi-Fi password. Your electronic device will then be easily connected to the internet, our digital world. This vast matrix of networks allows you to communicate with your friends, browse Google and play your favourite video games. However, don’t take it for granted. Only three decades in the past, people mostly relied on cables to stay connected to the Ethernet, a platform that transmits data through wires. Therefore, Ethernet users were confined to the length of the cables which were also exposed to physical damage. Luckily, Wi-Fi, a wireless technology, replaced the inefficient cables by giving us more flexible and easier access to the internet. But how?

Radio waves

Wi-Fi, which stands for High Fidelity, allows the transmission of data using radio waves. These signals have a wavelength of about 12 centimetres which is harmless, but too big for the human eye to detect. By sending electromagnetic radiation with different amplitude or phase to your computer, it is transformed into binary code which is long sets of 1s and 0s representing ‘’on’’ and ‘’off’’. An instruction can then be translated to every tiny pixel on your screen resulting in the formation of a precise image. Since many computers today are made of around two million pixels, an unimaginably huge amount of data must be conveyed through radio waves to simply play a short video.

Diagram of a wave:

https://cdn.kastatic.org/ka-perseus-images/bdee68f794185f6348574d22bc68fc0fcfa6bb7c.png

Routers

Digital data exchanges that occur between internet users are mainly organized by Wi-Fi routers. Their job is to connect electronic devices nearby to the internet and forward packets of data to their destination. Since most private Wi-Fi networks are connected to a personal router, multiple devices join a local network which allows them to communicate together. To make it simple, let’s imagine data like mail packages and computers like mailboxes. First, the package is dropped in a post office, which represents your router. It will then send your mail to a distribution center. That’s where all the mail is collected to find the fastest and most efficient delivery to the post office that is nearest to the destination. In the case of Wi-Fi, local area networks which are groups of different routers are the equivalent of distribution centers. Finally, your package is transported to the mailbox or devices that have access to your data. Therefore, routers play an indispensable role in effective and secure data distribution.

Image of a Wi-Fi router:

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Evolution

During Wi-Fi’s early attempts, radio signals were often reflected from walls that stood between the router and the computer. Moreover, these electromagnetic waves would form destructive interference with other devices like microwaves which will weaken or cancel each other out. Therefore, the exchange of data was slower and less efficient than Ethernet cables. However, scientists came up with a solution to these problems. In the 1990s, electrical engineer Dr. John O’Sullivan and his team applied some complex formulas that they discovered in astrophysics to improve wireless networks. They launched the first 802.11 protocol which was further developed into contemporary Wi-Fi technology. In 40 years, considerable progress has been made, such as boosting the speed at which data travels from your router to your electronic device. This could be achieved by increasing the wave’s frequency up to 6 gigahertz. In your physics or science class, you may have learned that one hertz equals one cycle per second. Thus, 6 gigahertz is equivalent to 6 billion cycles per second which is an enormous amount of data transferred within a short time interval. Furthermore, Wi-Fi signals were able to cover a larger range with better beamforming technology. This implies that they could reach farther locations and get around obstacles more easily.

Starlink

In 2023, American companies, such as Bell, AT&T and Verizon, provide the most Wi-Fi services to homes and businesses worldwide. On the other hand, Chinese companies play a major role in manufacturing network equipment like routers. However, they all have one competitor in common: Starlink, an ambitious project controlled by SpaceX. Founded by Elon Musk, it offers a satellite-based internet, unlike the traditional routers in our homes. From May 2019 to November 2023, SpaceX launched over 5000 satellites around the Earth. Since they all travel at very high speeds to stay in orbit, these satellites can allow billions of users, especially from remote areas, to access a reliable space internet. Unfortunately, it can lead to some consequences too. By observing satellite maps, it is estimated that around 212 Starlink spacecraft were lost or destroyed, possibly due to collisions or burn-ups. It will thus increase the amount of space debris which can have negative repercussions on future space explorations. For now, there are only two million Starlink users which is a hundred times smaller than AT&T with more than 200 million subscribers. This is mainly caused by the high price of launching satellites and installing dishes which are more expensive than terrestrial Wi-Fi services. Yet, technological advancements are the key to overcoming all these challenges.

Starlink dish

Space internet is created when the satellites exchange data with the Starlink ground dish, also called the Starlink receiver. This extraordinary device is able to both send radio waves into space and receive data, unlike regular TV dishes that are only able to receive data from their satellites. The electromagnetic signal sent by the Starlink dish will have to travel 550 km to reach the Starlink satellites. It is an enormous distance to cross, requiring an incredibly powerful beam formation technology from a relatively small object. This is achievable through the combination of 1280 antennas hidden inside the receiver. Each of them emits an electromagnetic field that overlaps each other creating constructive and destructive interference. As a result, they will together create a powerful beam pointing in a specific direction that can reach the satellite in barely two milliseconds. In the future, manufacturing smaller and more efficient antennas to fit in the dish can also contribute to enhancing the directionality and strength of the signals which are vectors of various magnitudes and directions. Therefore, more advanced manufacturing and scientific knowledge could increase efficiency and lower installation costs making Starlink more accessible.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Wi-Fi is a wireless technology that transmits instructions through radio waves emitted by routers. They also allow the exchange of data between different electronic devices by finding the fastest way to deliver data packets. Starlink, on the other hand, provides Wi-Fi services in remote regions with the help of five thousand satellites orbiting the Earth at high speeds. A Starlink dish will then send extremely focused beams containing data to the spacecraft and vice versa. Even if satellite-based internet is currently more expensive than regular Wi-Fi services, technological innovations can bring down its price and help surpass competitors.

List of sources:

Exploring Our Wi-Fi Technology

Written by James Li

Written by Knowledge Quest