Similar to radios and cell phones, a wireless network utilizes radio waves. The communication process in a wireless network is very much like two way radios and walkie-talkies. The computer’s wirless adapter transmits data with an antenna. It first transfers the information into a radio signal for this to happen. Then the wireless router decodes the data. This is where it gets interesting. The wireless router next sends the data to the Internet by using a physical wired connecion known as Ethernet.

It is possible for several people using several devices to utilize the capabilities of one router for the Internet applications. This makes it very convenient and is usually quite reliable. But if the users are using high bandwidth applications at the same time, it can cause interference or even disconnections.

Wi-Fi is the name for a very popular networking technology. There is actually an organization that owns the registered trademark for the name Wi-Fi. It is appropriately titled the Wi-Fi Alliance. They define Wi-Fi as any wireless local area network products.

So there you have it. Wi-Fi explained in plain and simple English. Wi-Fi is a wonderful thing. Wi-Fi has made many people’s lives much more convenient.

But what about everyone else? Does eveyone love tech gadgets and gizmos? A report done in the U.K. recently showed that nearly one third of the people surveyed were overwhelmed by all this tech stuff. That is a pretty high number.

Surprisingly enough, those folks surveyed who were not too excited about these tech advances were also more likely to feel less satisfied overall with their lives. So it begs the question.

Are technology advances a good thing? Is it affecting people for the better or worse? One area I feel where tech is having a negative affect is family life. Smartphones constantly buzzing, ringing, or vibrating during family time such as meals is annoying, not to mention disruptive.

There is no doubt that this amazing tech stuff does have its purpose. There are times that being able to send a text message is very helpful. But where is all this going? The answer is both exciting and a little scary too. It also remains to be seen.