WiFi is a wireless ethernet connection based upon IEEE802.11 standards (802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, etc). These standards support various rates, maxing out at around 54MHz currently for 802.11g. They operate in the 1.2GHz region, as do a number of other devices (like cordless phones for example). IEEE 802.11 generally relies on ethernet protocols (see discussion on CobraNet) for communications. Audio is transported using various, non-standardized isochronous methods. This simply means that the data stream is packaged into blocks, sent over the network as a series of data blocks, and then resequenced into a synchronous data stream at the destination.
Effective bandwidth over WiFi can be higly variable. The bandwidth is dependent upon many factors including distance between the devices, presence of interfering devices (wireless PC networks, wireless telephones, and some celular telephones). For 802.11g, bandwidth drops at 50-60' in a typical home under nominal conditions. Add interference effects and the range will be even shorter.
The WiFi implementations are available in several chipsets, however, we have found that many of the suppliers are not interested in supporting generic applications.Key advantages of this network are:
Key disadvantages of this network are:
For more information check out the Wi-Fi Alliance