Wireless technologies involve communications using radio frequencies (RF) and also infrared waves (IR). Millimeter-wave wireless technology may be used by wireless systems like Wi-Fi and 5G to communicate over shorter distances with higher capacity (e.g., streaming 4K and 8K video). Not all wireless communications technologies are used for networking, or to provide Internet access (although some of them allow very short-range networking and file sharing). When we refer to a wireless LAN, we are generally describing a scenario in which a WiFi-enabled device such as a smartphone, tablet, personal or laptop computer is connected to a router at an office or home, to allow for Internet access without using on-premises network cables.
Wireless networks are distinct from wired networks, in which one end of the data connection is physically connected with a cable in order to allow communications to occur at the other end. In most cases, the term wireless means communicating without the use of wires or cables. The term can also refer to devices which consume energy without using cables. Networking technologies which link several computers and devices without the need for cables, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), are also covered by the wireless umbrella.
Wireless is a broad term encompassing all types of technologies and devices that transfer data through the air instead of through wires, including cellular communications, networks among computers that have wireless adapters, and wireless computer accessories. Wireless technologies offer the possibility to communicate between two or more entities at distances without using wires or cables of any kind. Modern wireless technologies allow all kinds of data to be transmitted at short to long ranges, with no physical wiring required. Wireless Fidelity allows electronics to communicate across large distances.
Wi-Fi technology is used to reach an internet connection without the need for direct wiring between devices and the Internet service provider. There are two ways of connecting to the Internet wirelessly: WiFi and WiMAx. Wireless data communications are used to cover distances that are beyond typical cable capabilities for point-to-point communications and multipoint communications, provide backup communications links in the event of normal network outages, connect portable or temporary workstations, overcome situations in which conventional cable is either difficult or economically unfeasible, or connect remote users or networks. Wireless networks eliminate the need for fixed, hardwired data cabling in an organization or network, for connecting various endpoint computing devices--such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones--and embedded and peripheral devices.
Modern applications of fixed wireless technologies include wireless local loops (WLLs), which deliver local phone services using roof-mounted antennas, and local multipoint distribution services (LMDS), which are digital wireless transfers over 28 GHz capable of providing a few megabits per second of data to reach the Internet. WWAN uses cellular technologies -- including 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, and 5G - to allow wireless communications. Cordless phones are wireless devices, as are television remotes, radios, and GPS systems. Bluetooth, defined under the Wireless Personal Area Networks category, is a short-range communications technology that is positioned in the consumer market.