Getting to Grips with WiFi

by Chris Reina, TeachTech Support

Why WiFi?

WiFi began life in 1971 in Hawaii but not until 1991 did the standards begin to be ratified in The Netherlands. By 1997 the first international standards were released and it has grown significantly in the last 24 years.

Nearly all schools are using some form of wireless technology and the need to connect to a WiFi network is a critical infrastructure for schools and educational institutions nationwide.

Like many technologies, WiFi has a complicated backend. While front-end users generally simply have to choose the SSID (network name) and enter a password to connect - understanding, to a small extent, what happens to allow the simplicity of this is important.

There is often common confusion as to how wireless networks work in schools and I hope to go some small distance to explaining this.

To continue reading this article follow the link to Issue 1 of Exploring EdTech Ireland magazine for teachers. Read online or download the whole issue for free.