Wireless Internet Reviews

Simply put, wireless internet is the means to connect to the internet through radio waves in the air. However, there are a lot of different ways to connect to the internet wirelessly and this is where things start to get a little more confusing.

So let’s try to make things a bit simpler and look at some of the options available for wireless internet.

You may already be using wireless internet and be familiar with the term Wi-Fi if you have a wireless router in your home.

A wireless router allows you to connect multiple computers and devices in your home to your regular broadband internet modem without the need to run wires to each device. Wi-Fi is the technology used in your wireless router that handles the sending and receiving of data between each device and its connection to the internet.

Another way you can get wireless internet is from Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs). Unlike getting a broadband internet connection through cable or the phone line, most WISP's will require you to install a small antenna on your home to receive your internet signals. You will normally find WISP's operating in rural areas where high speed internet is not normally available.

The above technologies are great for connecting to the internet within your home, but what if you want to hit the road and still surf the web?

Wireless access to broadband internet away from home is becoming more and more commonplace. The fact that you can connect to the internet away from the home is very exciting. As the technology develops and the networks grow, you soon may be able to get wireless broadband access anywhere in the world.

Many cell phones are available that give you access to the web, but they fail to give you the online experience you get from using your laptop. So let's have a look at what's available for the plugged in road warriors among us.

You have more than likely seen people using laptops in many places like coffee shops, bookshops and airports. Many of these establishments offer Wi-Fi hotspots for easy internet access. These hotspots operate just like your home wireless network. When there are many Wi-Fi networks close together, it may be possible to “roam” from one network to the next without losing your connection.

Many cities through the U.S. have a Wi-Fi initiative to build out a network, generally in the city core, to provide wireless internet access. Most laptops come with built in Wi-Fi cards, so connecting to the internet is easy. Although some places will offer you free Wi-Fi access most of the time, most require an access fee. Many Wi-Fi networks allow users to pay a one-time fee for use. If you plan to use Wi-Fi hotspots a lot, then buying a monthly plan might be a better option--but make sure the areas you plan to travel are covered.

There is currently a big push among the cell phone providers to update their networks to support greater data transmission speeds and provide greater support to the so called third and fourth generation of handsets.

With this increase in speed it has become possible for the cell phone companies to offer mobile broadband connections. These wireless internet services allow you to connect your laptop direct to the cellular networks to access the internet.

To achieve this you need to a purchase an “Air Card”, these allow you to access the wireless internet. They are either a card the fits into one of your laptop slots or can be a key that plugs into a USB slot on your laptop.

One of the newest emerging wireless technologies is WiMAX.

This technology could potentially blur the lines between point-to-point access as offered by the WISP's and mobile cellular access.

Many rural WISP's are already starting to use WiMAX as it provides a much greater range than existing Wi-Fi based services which is great for people who don't have broadband access through cable or DSL.

Some cellular companies are also looking into the feasibility of Wi-MAX as a way of increasing bandwidth across their networks.