We all have a wifi network to connect to at home, hotel or office, but not everyone knows the names and meaning of the devices involved and the terminology, always made up of Anglo-Saxon words. Knowing everything about wireless or "wireless" networks, knowing the meaning of the main network terms and concepts helps you to be more informed about networks managed at home at school or at work, especially when you need to solve problems.
Wireless networks are a big component of modern technology, so it's important to know what you're talking about when reading words like the ones listed in this article.
- Access Point
Before the invention of wireless connections, networks were made up of long lines of interconnected cables.
An access point or access point is a device connected to a network that allows other devices to use it wirelessly.
Access points can be both private and public.
For example, at home you can have a private access point which is password protected, allowing only users who know it to access the network.
In a bar, however, there may be a public access point that allows everyone to use their network through what is called wireless hotspot .
The meaning of the Access Point must not be confused with the wireless router.
There is a certain overlap between these two objects, but conceptually speaking, they are different things: a wireless router is always an Access Point but an Access Point is not necessarily represented by a router.
- Ad Hoc networks
An ad hoc wireless network is a type of network that is not based on an existing network.
That Latin term "ad hoc" means something that is created for a specific purpose, so the meaning of an ad hoc network can be that of a wireless connection between computers created for a temporary purpose, such as file transfer.
An ad hoc network is decentralized and there is no particular external device.
The access point in an ad hoc network is the port through which all devices must connect to the network.
In Windows terms the ad hoc network is the shared network, where in practice, the computer connected to the internet via cable or wifi stick, can share the connection via a different wifi-adapter and make it possible for other computers to connect to the internet via the ad hoc network.
READ ALSO: Connect 2 PCs in an ad hoc wireless network to share the internet
- Wireless router
A wireless router is a device that acts both as an access point and gateway.
The router is the device that receives the internet connection from the provider and routes the incoming data to multiple connections (for example all the home computers, the tablet, the smartphone etc.).
Being now a common object, present in everyone's homes, it is worth reading:
- Which wifi router to buy for the wireless home network "> How does a router really work?
- Wireless repeater
A wireless repeater is also known as a wireless range extender and is a device that takes the signal from an Access Point and retransmits it to a second network.
In practice it acts as an extension, to extend the radio signal so that it reaches points further away from the access point.
Today, wireless repeaters are inexpensive, self-configuring by connecting to a power outlet and making it possible to connect from any point in a large house or office.
The wifi repeaters are useful for situations where the network signal is weak in some areas of the house and allows to increase the signal strength, allowing a stronger connection.
Likewise, a repeater can prove useful in cases where there is a lot of interference from walls, metal or other radio signals.
Most modern wireless routers also offer "repeater" mode to turn the router into a repeater.
This is a great way to use old unused routers.
READ ALSO: amplify the home Wi-fi and extend the wireless reception
- Wireless bridge
If the access point is a device that connects to a wired network and allows other devices to connect wirelessly to that network, the wireless bridge works in a similar but opposite way.
A Wireless Bridge is a bridge device that first connects wirelessly to a network and then allows other devices to connect to it using cables.
Basically, a bridge allows wired devices to participate in a wireless network.
The most modern routers have the "bridge" mode that can be used to extend the wireless network at home using devices that do not have a wifi network card and need cables.
The use of the network bridge today is rather limited.
- Wireless network adapter ( Wifi Adapter )
A wireless network adapter allows a device that does not have wireless functionality to access a wireless network.
A wifi adapter can be a network card to be placed inside a desktop PC while remaining fixed, or a USB stick that acts as the external network card of the computer, which can be detached whenever you want.
Network cards tend to offer stronger connections and higher speeds than USB dongles which are more convenient to use and configure.
This is what you just need to know to be a master of wireless networks and to know which device to buy or use if necessary.
Of course, there are a lot of other network-related terms, acronyms and meanings that have been listed in another Internet dictionary guide article and Networks with the meaning of the main terms
