How Does

Wifi Work?

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Nikola Tesla predicted the internet. Wi-Fi may be older than you. The sun isn’t as good for you as you think. This website will answer all your questions, and show you how Wi-Fi really works.

Radio waves and signals

Devices use antennae to send and receive information. Companies made devices that used junk bands. The devices could receive and send information. But they had a problem because one company used a different method than another. Devices made by different companies couldn’t communicate.

In 1988, IEEE began working on a method that all wireless devices use. (IEEE stands for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) The method, called IEEE 802.11, was released in 1997. Today each radio tower controls an area so it can receive and transmit radio waves.

When a text is written, it is sent as a code called binary code. Binary code uses a frequency of radio waves specific to whoever the text.

Decoding pictures, videos, and voice

So texts are sent using binary code, you know that. But what about pictures and recordings? They basically break into tiny microscopic pieces and go from router to router to find whoever you’re sending it to.

Naming Wi-Fi

Have you ever wondered what Wi-Fi stands for? Lots of people think that Wi-Fi stands for wireless fidelity and thats wrong. Wi-Fi doesn’t stand for anything. Wi-Fi actually means IEEE 802.11. But that name was long and hard to remember so the IEEE hired a marketing company to come up with another name, Wi-Fi.

Who really invented Wi-Fi?

In my research I found three different people who have claimed to have invented Wi-Fi,

Vic Hayes, Hedy Lamarr, and John O’Sullivan. But who really invented Wi-Fi?

First let me tell you about them. Vic Hayes is known as the father of Wi-Fi because he supervised the 1997 IEEE committee that made Wi-Fi. Austrian-American inventor and actress, Hedy Lammar developed the technology that formed the basis for today’s technology. John O’Sullivan is acknowledged as the Australian engineer who led the team of inventors that invented Wi-Fi.

Who do you think invented Wi-Fi? Well, while you're thinking, let me tell you a story. So one day I was scrolling through Youtube, and a video about Wi-Fi popped up. And guess what? The video was from one of my favorite channels, Bright Side. Now, I watch Bright Side because they give me true information and tell me how to survive.

Hedy Lamarr decided she would stop torpedoes from being intercepted by using frequency-hopping signals. And John O’Sullivan tried to detect radio signals from black holes. But when they couldn’t find any black holes, they gave up. But 20 years later they used the Fast Fourier equations they had invented 20 years earlier to invent Wi-Fi. If you want this explained better, then watch the video.

And I didn’t mention Vic Hayes, did I? Well, it turns out he didn’t do anything.

How to protect your Wi-Fi password

What’s your Wi-Fi password? I hope you don’t have a password like zaq1zaq1 or iloveyou or even Qwerty. But if you do, it is not safe, so please change it.

First, enter the router's IP address in your internet browser. Second, check the bottom, back, or side of the router for the IP address. After that, log into your router's configuration page. Next, look for the "Wireless", "Wireless Security" or "WLAN" option. Then, find a new password. Finally, enter the new password in the "Wi-Fi Password" box.

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Wi-Fi is a hard thing to understand. I’m glad you stuck through to the end. The answer to my question is that Wi-Fi is made of radio waves and signals. Wi-Fi was invented by Hedy Lamarr and John O’Sullivan.

If you didn't have your router, you wouldn't be able to talk to others on the internet.

Vic Hayes chaired the 1997 IEEE committee that made Wi-Fi.

Hedy Lammar was an Austrian American actress and inventor.

John O' Sullivan was the Australian engineer who led the team of inventors that invented Wi-Fi.

How to choose a strong password:

Don’t pick an easy to hack password like:

  • 123abc

  • 123456

  • abcd

  • Qwerty

  • asdfg

  • 1111

  • Iloveyou

  • zaq1zaq1

Passwords DON'Ts

  • Don’t use anything in the dictionary. Passwords like password, monkey, dragon, and sunshine are some of the first passwords hackers guess when trying to find your password.

  • Don’t use personal information. If I were to live in Austin, Texas, my password wouldn’t be Iliveinaustin because then, if a hacker found my password they could figure out where I live.

  • Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts, because then if the hacker finds your Roblox password, then they could empty your bank account too.

Passwords DOs

  • Do mix up uppercase and lowercase letters.

  • Do make longer passwords.

  • Do add numbers and special characters such as @, #, & , !

How would a conversation in binary code look?

From reading about binary code, you might be wondering what it actually looks like.

01010000 01110101 01110100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01101110 01100001 01101101 01100101 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01110111 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100101 00100000 01110011 01101111 01101101 01100101 00100000 01100011 01101111 01101111 01101100 00100000 01110011 01110100 01110101 01100110 01100110 00100001

Wondering what that means? Then click on this website link:


You will need to copy the binary code and paste it in the spot that says, "Binary input." If you see "Binary output," then click swap and paste it in the "Binary input."

Visit these sources to find more information:

Books about Wi-Fi:

  • How It Works: Wi-Fi by Janet Slingerland

  • The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) by Judy Galens and Nancy Pear (Page 244)

Fun Facts:

Did you know...

  • More than 9 billion devices are in the world.

  • Wi-Fi was invented only 23 years ago (Depending on what year it is, This year is 2022 ).

  • June 20th is World Wi-Fi Day.

  • Wi-Fi is better for you than ultraviolet rays (rays from the sun).

  • The Internet and Wi-Fi are different. (The Internet is like the language and Wi-Fi is like the signal that sends the language.)

Go to Mr. Beekman's Class Website to check out more Big Question Projects...