Everyone is looking for a bargain these days, and that includes leeching off any unprotected Wi-Fi network they can find. Sometimes, people leave their networks open on purpose to insult moochers who refuse to pay for their own service. Continue reading to see more.
5 Interesting Wi-Fi facts:
- Prior to 1999, there were several different wireless technologies used to connect devices. The different technologies were incompatible so the benefits were limited.
- The development of an industry recognized technical standard (IEEE 802.11), along with an industry-wide alliance organization (the Wi-Fi Alliance), created a technology platform and business market the same way the development of Ethernet wired networking did in 1985.
- Almost immediately following ratification of IEEE 802.11 and the founding of the Wi-Fi Alliance, every major networking company and computer hardware manufacturer developed and brought to market Wi-Fi products.
- The first generation of Wi-Fi products (802.11b) have a maximum data rate of 11 Mbit/s and operate in the 2.4 GHz band. They reached the market in 2000. This is comparable to the speed most computers at the time were connected over wired networks.
- Besides creating a common, compatible, interoperable standard, each new generation of products are compatible with previous generations. According to research from the Dell’Oro Group, the market is growing from 20% to 40% per quarter thanks to standards and compatibility.