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How does WiFi work?

I just purchased a WiFi ready Laptop and I live about 1 mile from a WiFi zone resturant. Can I pick up their signal? Do I need to buy anything , or is my free Yahoo membership enough to surf the web using their WiFi network?

2 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Wireless Internet access, known as WiFi, or wireless fidelity, allows you to get rid of the cables dangling from the back of your PCs by broadcasting Internet connections via radio waves. Then you just tune in from your computer. Here's how it works:

    • A transmitting antenna, usually linked to a DSL or high-speed land-based Internet connection, uses radio waves to beam signals.

    • Another antenna, which is in the laptop or PC, catches the signal.

    • The signal has a range of about 300 feet for most home connections. The farther the user is from the signal, the slower the connection speed.

    WiFi users can choose from three types of adopted standard wireless solutions: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, and IEEE 802.11g.

    - Sorry, but you can't acces internet if you're not on the WiFi zone or with that 1 mile distance.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Get their signal from a mile away? No, I doubt it very much, and besides, that's called piggybacking or wardriving, and it is illegal.

    Check out How Stuff Works for an explanation of wireless fidelity.

    http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network...

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