Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) wireless standard

Installing Wireless LAN was recommended where deploying the cable system was impossible or economically impractical. Currently, many organizations use Wi-Fi, since under certain conditions the network speed already exceeds 100 Mbps. Users can move between access points over the Wi-Fi coverage area. At the same time, when changing access points, a short-term disconnection occurs, with the exception of the use of Cisco equipment.

Mobile devices (handheld computers, smartphones and laptops) equipped with client transceiver devices can connect to the local network and access the Internet through access points.

The small width of the frequency spectrum used, the lack of roaming and authorization capabilities do not allow Wi-Fi devices to squeeze mobile cellular communications on the market. However, companies such as Zyxel Communications, SocketIP and Symbol Technologies offer Wi-Fi telephony solutions.

Standards

Wi-Fi 7 IEEE 802.11be

EasyMesh

• EasyMesh (mesh standard)

IEEE 802.16: WiMax

WiMax is an international interoperability technology for microwave access. It allows you to transfer data at speeds from 30 to 40 megabits per second. The term specifically refers to interoperability and implementation within the IEEE 802.16 standard.

This technology for wireless transmission of data to its customers was once used by several mobile operators, in particular Sprint. Then these operators abandoned WiMax and switched to using faster LTE 4G networks for data transmission.

WiMax Forum certifies devices before delivery to private and corporate users. The technology works better if communication is organized outdoors.

IEEE 802.15.4: ZigBee

ZigBee, a wireless technology and group of LPWAN technologies, presents an open global standard designed specifically for use in M2M networks.

The technology is inexpensive to run and doesn't require much power. This makes ZigBee an ideal solution for many industrial applications. ZigBee has low latency and low power consumption, which allows products to run on a single battery for several years without recharging. The ZigBee protocol offers 128-bit AES encryption. This technology is also used in Mesh networks, which allow nodes to connect to each other through several routes.

ZigBee is expected to be implemented in smart home devices. The ability to simultaneously connect several different "things" makes it ideal for a connected home environment. Users can connect items such as smart locks, lights, thermostats. These "things" will be able to interact with each other.

ZigBee Alliance standardized Zigbee PRO 2017 technology, hoping to expand connectivity capabilities. However, so far ZigBee devices are not able to fully interact with each other. In the future, it is planned that standardization will fix this problem, and devices will be able to work in a single space. The frequency range also limits the possibilities of this technology^[1].

EEE 802.15.1: Bluetooth и BLE

Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE, Bluetooth Smart) are wireless technologies used to transfer data over short distances. They are often used in small devices that connect to users' phones and tablets. For example, the technology is used in many acoustic systems.

Bluetooth Low Energy uses less power than standard Bluetooth. BLE support is equipped with fitness trackers, smartwatches and other connected devices so that the battery charge is more economical.

The use of BLE has just begun en masse. This technology was originally introduced by the company Nokia in 2006. However, until 2010, it was an integral part of the Bluetooth standard. Today, BLE is supported by most manufacturers smartphones and computers, as well as major operating systems Windows 8(,,,, and OS X Linux). Windows Phone Android iOS

Bluetooth uses radio waves of a high-frequency electromagnetic field to transmit data. This technology was originally standardized as 802.15.1, but IEEE no longer supports this separate standard.

Bluetooth companies are often affiliated with the Bluetooth Special Interest (SIG) group. Currently, the group has more than 20 thousand members. SIG must certify the product with Bluetooth before it can be marketed. This procedure helps ensure that all Bluetooth devices pass the regulatory stage and provide the same level of security and security.

IEEE 802.11ax - Wi-Fi 6

Article:Revolutionary Wi-Fi 6 - Wi-Fi 6 technology will increase data transfer speed and bandwidth of both new and existing wireless networks. The enterprise-centric standard will provide the flexibility and scalability of the infrastructure to quickly launch digital services.

The 802.11ax standard assumes that devices that support it will be able to download data four times faster and transfer it to a remote server six times faster than previous generation Wi-Fi (802.11ac) solutions. Also declared four times the wider signal reception zone and 7 times the gain in terms of energy efficiency, the company said in a statement. The first chips with 802.11ax support were presented by Broadcom. Read more here.

In early September 2018, the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) announced that 802.11ax would receive a number of new features. Among them, in particular, multi-user uplink and downlink MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) communication channels to expand channel capacity while simultaneously supporting multiple devices. This feature is intended for businesses and network providers, as well as for large public places and buildings in which many users are located.

Support for the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands will expand the spectrum used and ensure compatibility with existing devices. In addition, the 6 GHz band will also be supported. The variable bandwidth of the channels and the ability to use various devices will allow operators to offer more efficient IoT, including connections using low bandwidth for narrow dedicated channels that will save power. Thanks to this function, operators will be able to support broadband services and IoT in the same network. The Target Wake Time feature will allow IoT devices to go to sleep to reduce competition for network access and activate when needed, saving battery power.

According to the WBA document "Enhanced Wi-Fi - 802.11ax Decoded," 802.11ax will provide features not only to support the tens of millions smartphones that they use, Wi-Fi but also to meet the requirements of segments such as devices Internet of things (IoT), and. added virtual reality According to WBA, 802.11ax capabilities can be applied in high-density networks, on, in the transport retail entertainment industry, in enterprises, in industry and. smart cities

In addition to optimized performance, bandwidth and efficiency, 5G early application scenarios will be supported in next-generation Wi-Fi, according to WBA. The updated Wi-Fi technology will meet the requirements developed by ITU for 5G for the IMT-2020 standard.

Being "fit" for 5G means more than meeting a set of capacity and density requirements, the WBA report said. - We already see Wi-Fi integration into 5G concepts, such as the European Telecommunications Standards Institute's Multi-Access Edge Computing architecture.

According to WBA expectations, the 802.11ax standard will be ratified in Q4 2019. According to forecasts of the unification of mobile network operators GSM Association, by 2022 more than 70% of enterprise-class Wi-Fi products will use 802.11ax.^[2]

IEEE 802.11ad (WiGig)

Main article: IEEE 802.11ad (WiGig)

Samsung Electronics (Samsung Electronics Rus) announced in October 2014 the successful development of technology capable of providing 5 times faster Wi-Fi data transfer rates in smartphones, tablets and routers. The technology developed by Samsung complies with the IEEE 802.11ad specification.

IEEE 802.11ac - Wi-Fi 5

Основная статья: IEEE 802.11ac

By 2015, a new standard for IEEE 802.11ac wireless data networks will be adopted, which will allow information to be transmitted up to three times faster than today's latest IEEE 802.11n standard. It currently limits data transmission to 300 Mbps.

It is expected that an increase in performance will be achieved primarily due to the fact that the devices will be able to work not only with 20-40 MHz channels, but also 80-160 MHz, especially in the 5 GHz frequency range. With a high degree of probability, the standard will remain compatible with previous versions of Wi-Fi standards. In addition to the increase in Wi-Fi speed, a significant increase in the number of devices that will use it for data transfer is expected. Analytical agency In-Stat assumes that by 2015 their total number will exceed 1 billion.

Products for wireless LANs based on the IEEE 802.11ac standard, which is currently under development, will begin shipping in 2012. Broadcom believes that their appearance will mark a new era in the development of Wi-Fi networks with high performance and a much larger range.

The new technology will use narrow-directional radiation from antennas, wider channels, several antennas for transmitting and receiving data. All this will bring the performance to 1.3 Gbps and increase the communication distance. The new standard will also provide better signal transmission through the walls of houses, so the 11ac network will reliably operate within an entire building, said Raul Patel, vice president of Broadcom's mobile and wireless communications group. This standard will be a step forward from IEEE 802.11n, the most advanced wireless communication standard today, which usually provides speeds up to 300 Mbps.

The home wireless industry is considering several modifications for high-resolution video transmission that require high performance and stability. Patel sees no threat to 11ac from competing technologies. Wireless HDMI, for example, provides high speed, but is much more expensive, so it is unlikely to become widespread. WiGig provides data transfer with a speed of up to 6 Gbps, but over shorter distances. Perhaps WiGig and 11ac will be able to successfully complement each other.

Broadcom expects 802.11ac-based products to begin shipping in the second half of 2012. Patel believes that by the end of next year, the Wi-Fi Alliance may have a program for their certification ready, although work on the IEEE standard may not yet be completed. However, when the IEEE 802.11n standard was still under development, deliveries of products based on it had already begun. Their certification for compliance with the preliminary editions of the standard was carried out in the Wi-Fi Alliance.

In November, In-Stat analysts released a forecast indicating that sales of 11ac-based products would begin to grow rapidly after the release of this standard. If in 2012 we can expect deliveries of about 1 million routers and modems of various types, then in 2015 this figure will already be 350 million. But even then, 11n will compete quite successfully with 11ac, and almost 1.5 billion 11n-based devices are expected to be sold in 2015.

As in 802.11n, the new standard regulates the use of several antennas to form several traffic streams. However, the 11ac radio module, using only one stream, will practically not be inferior in performance to the 11n module with three streams, Patel claims. One method that can almost triple its performance is the use of more broadband channels - from 80 to 160 MHz, while a maximum of 11n is 40 MHz. The 802.11ac standard also defines how multiple devices using this extended channel frequency range can work together.

With the advent of the 11ac standard, it will be possible to go beyond the 2.4 GHz private band, the only one allowed by the old 802.11b standard and also used as one of the 11n bands. The new 11ac standard is designed only for the 5 GHz band, which, as Patel noted, is not so "overpopulated." He drew attention to the fact that 90-95% of devices work today in Wi-Fi networks in the 2.4 GHz band, where there are only three "disjoint" channels, while in the 5 GHz band there are 20 such channels.

IEEE 802.11n - Wi-Fi 4

Основная статья: IEEE 802.11n

IEEE 802.11n hardware requirements. contained in Part I of Order No. 124 "On Approval of the Rules for the Use of Radio Access Equipment," dated September 14, 2010. Simultaneously with the adoption of the new order, the old one, dated February 13, 2007, lost its force. This news will certainly delight mobile people - Wi-Fi 802.11n equipment operating in the 2.4-2.5 and 5.0 GHz bands provides data transfer rates up to 600 Mbps and a larger coverage radius.

WiFi speed

Main article: Internet speed

Many users who have connected to any Wi-Fi network are not always happy with the connection speed. The issue is quite complex and needs detailed consideration.

a. Real-world Wi-Fi speeds

This is how frequently asked questions on this topic look like:

"" My tariff plan provides for a speed of 50 Mbps - why is it only 20? "

"Why is 54 Mbps written on the box, and the client program displays a maximum of 2.5 MBytes/s (which is 20 Mbps) when loading the torrent?"

"Why is 150 Mbps written on the box, and the client program displays 2.5-6 MB/s when loading the torrent (which is 20-48 Mbps)?"

"Why is 300 Mbps written on the box, and the client program displays 2.5 - 12 MB/s when loading the torrent (which is 20 - 96 Mbps)?"

On boxes and specifications for devices, a theoretically calculated maximum throughput is indicated for ideal conditions of a particular Wi-Fi standard (in fact, for a vacuum).

In real conditions, the bandwidth and area of ​ ​ the network coverage depend on the interference caused by other devices, the degree of loading of the WiFi network, the presence of obstacles (and the materials from which they are made) and other factors.

Many client utilities supplied by manufacturers along with WiFi adapters, as well as utilities, operating system Windows when connected via Wi-Fi, display precisely the "theoretical" bandwidth, and not the real data transfer rate, misleading users.

As the test results show, the maximum real bandwidth is about 3 times lower than the one specified in the specifications for the device or for a particular IEEE 802.11 group standard (Wi-Fi technology standards):

WiFi Standards	Maximum achievable theoretically calculated throughput (Mbps)	Maximum Real Data Rate (Mbps)
IEEE 802.11a	Up to 54	Up to 24
IEEE 802.11g	Up to 54	Up to 24
IEEE 802.11n	Up to 150	Up to 50
IEEE 802.11n	Up to 300	Up to 100

b. WLAN-WLAN. Wi-Fi speed (depending on distance)

All modern and current Wi-Fi standards today work in a similar way.

At each time, active Wi-Fi equipment (access point or router) works with only one client (WiFi adapter) from the entire WiFi network, and all network devices receive special service information about how long the radio channel will be reserved for data transmission. Transmission takes place in half-duplex mode, i.e. in turn - from the active Wi-Fi equipment to the client adapter, then vice versa, and so on. Simultaneous "parallel" data transfer process (duplex) in Wi-Fi technology is not possible.

Thus, the data exchange rate between two clients (WLAN-WLAN switching rate) of one Wi-Fi network created by one device (access point or router) will (ideally) be two or more times lower (depending on the distance) than the maximum real data transfer rate throughout the network.

Example:

Two computers with IEEE 802.11g Wi-Fi adapters are connected to one IEEE 802.11g Wi-Fi router. Both computers are a short distance from the router. The entire network has the maximum achievable theoretical bandwidth of 54 Mbps (as written in the device specifications), the real data exchange rate will not exceed 24 Mbps.

But, since Wi-Fi technology is a half-duplex data transfer, the Wi-Fi radio module has to be switched between two network clients (Wi-Fi adapters) twice as often as if the client were alone. Accordingly, the real data rate between the two adapters will be twice as low as the maximum real rate for one client. In this example, the maximum real data rate for each computer will be 12 Mbps. Recall that we are talking about transferring data from one computer to another through a router via a wifi connection (WLAN-WLAN).

Depending on the distance of the network client from the access point or router, the "theoretical" and, as a result, the "real" data transfer rate over WiFi will change. Recall that it is about 3 times less than the "theoretical."

This is due to the fact that the active WiFi equipment, working in half-duplex mode, together with the adapters changes the signal parameters (type of modulation, convolutional coding rate, etc.) depending on the conditions in the radio channel (distance, presence of obstacles and interference).

When the client of the network is in the coverage area with a "theoretical" bandwidth of 54 Mbps, its maximum real speed will be 24 Mbps. If the client moves 50 meters in line of sight (without obstacles or interference), it will be 2 Mbps. A similar effect can also cause a barrier in the form of a thick supporting wall or massive metal structure - you can be at a distance of 10-15 meters, but behind this barrier.

c. IEEE 802.11n router, IEEE 802.11g adapter

Consider an example when a Wi-Fi network creates an IEEE 802.11 n (150 Mbps) Wi-Fi router. A laptop with an IEEE 802.11n (300 Mbps) Wi-Fi adapter and a stationary computer with an IEEE 802.11g (54 Mbps) Wi-Fi adapter are connected to the router:

In this example, the entire network has a maximum "theoretical" speed of 150 Mbps, since it is built on an IEEE 802.11n Wi-Fi router, 150 Mbps. The maximum real WiFi speed will not exceed 50 Mbps. Since all WiFi standards operating on the same frequency range are backward compatible with each other, you can connect to such a network using an IEEE 802.11g, 54 Mbps WiFi adapter. At the same time, the maximum real speed will not exceed 24 Mbps. When connecting a laptop with an IEEE 802.11n (300 Mbps) WiFi adapter to this router, client utilities can display the maximum "theoretical" speed of 150 Mbps (the network was created by an IEEE 802.11n, 150 Mbps device), but the maximum real speed will not be higher than 50 Mbps. In this scheme, the WiFi router will work with an IEEE 802.11g client adapter at a real speed not exceeding 24 Mbps, and with an IEEE 802.11n adapter at a real speed not exceeding 50 Mbps. Here we need to remember that WiFi technology is half-duplex communication and an access point (or router) can work with only one network client, and all other network clients are "notified" of the time for which the radio channel is reserved for data transmission.

d. WiFi speed through the router. WAN-WLAN

If we are talking about a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi router, then the torrent download speed may be even lower than the values ​ ​ given above.

These values ​ ​ cannot exceed the WAN-LAN switching speed, since this is the main characteristic of the router performance.

Thus, if the specifications (and box) of the device indicate a data transfer rate over Wi-Fi up to 300 Mbps, and the WAN-LAN parameter for this model, its hardware version, firmware version, as well as the type and protocol of connection is 24 Mbps, then the data transfer rate over Wi-Fi (for example, when loading a torrent) under no circumstances can it exceed 3 MB/s (24 Mbps). This parameter is called WAN-WLAN, which directly depends on the WAN-LAN routing speed, on the firmware version ("firmware") installed on the Wi-Fi router, Wi-Fi radio module (WiFi access point built into the WiFi router), as well as on the characteristics of the Wi-Fi adapter, its drivers, distance from the router, noisy radio air and other factors.

Speed up connection to Wi-Fi in crowded places by seven times

Slow connections Wi-Fi to airports, cafes and other public places may soon be a thing of the past thanks to a protocol developed by researchers at the University of North Carolina. Connections to access points slow down with a large number of users, as data is transmitted in both directions along the same channel.

A solution called WiFox, proposed in the fall of 2012 by researchers, does not require updating the hardware of access points. This is a software system that monitors the level of traffic in the Wi-Fi channel. As soon as a large buffer of unsent data accumulates on the access point, outbound traffic is given higher priority. After the buffer is empty, the priority is returned to incoming user requests. In fact, the researchers explain, the system works as a street traffic controller, making sure that the data in both directions flows more evenly.

During tests in the developers' own laboratory, to the access point of which up to 45 devices can connect, it turned out that the efficiency of WiFox increases with the number of users: when there are 25, then the connection accelerates fourfold, and when 45, then already seven times.

2024

New architectural vulnerability discovered to intercept Wi-Fi connections

In the database of threats and vulnerabilities (NOS) FSTEC at the end of May, a BDU:2024-04005 vulnerability appeared that allows an intruder acting remotely to intercept Wi-Fi traffic by spoofing the access point.

An error is associated with shortcomings in the IEEE 802.11 verification procedures when connecting to a Wi-Fi access point. If the base station authenticates the client, the reverse check of the base station by the client is not always implemented. This creates the possibility for attackers to replace the access point using its identical name and connection parameters. As a result, the attacker has the ability to intercept communications (including passwords) of inattentive clients by creating fake access points.

MitM attack using a fake base station and with cloned SSID on remote users

This is a fairly serious attack, "explained Mikhail Kader, chief architect of strategic projects at Positive Technologies, for TAdviser. - But implementation requires two conditions: physical access to the site to create a fake access point with a stronger signal and the absence of an Enterprise Wi-Fi function that allows you to track the appearance of fake access points.

For home networks, where the WPA protocol is mainly used, such a substitution is not terrible, - said TAdviser Sergey Gordeichik, CEO of SayberOK. - It is written that "the WPA1, WPA2 and FT (Fast BSS Transition) protocols are not affected by the problem, as they require the correct SSID when negotiating the connection." For corporate - it all depends very much on the settings, since there may be a "zoo" of traffic protection methods. In some configurations, the attack can work. But this requires a "person in the middle," i.e. the attacker's signal must be stronger/no worse than the signal of the "home" point, which happens, but not massively.

However, if the client has the option "connect automatically" for the corporate network, and the attacker knows exactly both its SSID and the place of residence or passage of the victim, then he can create a fake access point and intercept sessions with such a connection. And if when connecting to this network, the use of reduced security settings is also configured, which is sometimes found for corporate networks, then the attack can be quite successful.

FSTEC experts recommend taking the following compensatory measures: limit the range of the wireless network to the controlled area; Use unique passwords for each SSID organize virtual private networks (VPNs) for remote access; Use special names for RADIUS servers. To this, you can add that enterprise wireless networks should be considered an untrusted segment with appropriate firewall and intrusion detection settings. It is desirable to implement ZTNA.

If you are not using HTTP, but forced HTTPS, then if someone tries to intercept your traffic and arrange a MitM attack, you will not have confidence in its certificate, "Dmitry Kuzevanov, head of the UserGate monitoring and response center, told TAdviser. - If you see for your site that something is wrong with its certificate, do not click "continue." When our applications disappeared from foreign marketplaces, we taught users to skip security checks. You don't need to do this, and you need to defend yourself wisely. If you have an enterprise application, then you need to integrate mutual certificate verification into it and teach users to respond correctly to security messages.

Wi-Fi 7 is officially certified

On January 8, 2024, the Wi-Fi Alliance began officially certifying devices that support the next generation of wireless communication - Wi-Fi 7. This technology provides a significant increase in data transfer speed compared to Wi-Fi 6.

Wi-Fi 7 supports 320 MHz channels, 16 MU-MIMO spatial streams, as well as 4096-QAM, Multi-RU and Multi-Link technologies, making the maximum speed 4.8 times faster than Wi-Fi 6 and 13 times more than Wi-Fi 5. Operation in three frequency bands is supported - 2.4; 5 and 6 GHz. The specification provides a modified frame format for improved forward compatibility, as well as coordinated reception and transmission using multiple access points. The maximum data transfer rate in Wi-Fi 7 networks is 46 Gbps. For comparison: for Wi-Fi 6, this figure lies at 9.6 Gbps.

Thanks to certification, Wi-Fi 7 devices are guaranteed to be able to interact with each other. In 2024, laptops, smartphones routers and other devices supporting this standard are expected to appear. Wi-Fi 7 technology will provide full support for new wireless options: multi-user applications of augmented, virtual and mixed reality (// ARVR XR), immersive 3D learning, next-generation games, hybrid working environments, industrial, internet of things automotive systems, etc.

The Wi-Fi Alliance said in a statement that in 2024 alone, more than 233 million devices with Wi-Fi 7 support will enter the market, and by 2028 their number will grow to 2.1 billion. Overall, Wi-Fi 7 offers new features that improve wireless performance and connectivity across environments.^[3]

2023

The technology is one step ahead. Huawei introduced an analogue of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

On August 4, 2023, Chinese telecommunications company Huawei officially announced NearLink wireless data technology. This is an analogue of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which provides a number of advantages over these systems. Read more here.

Wi-Fi 6 routers will be produced in Russia

At the end of January 2023, it became known about the upcoming launch of the production of Russian routers with support for the Wi-Fi 6 wireless communication standard. The corresponding plan is contained in the roadmap "New Industrial Software" (NIPO). Read more here.

2022

Wi-Fi caught up in traffic with cellular communications in Russia

At the end of 2022, Wi-Fi caught up in traffic with cellular communications in Russia. This is stated in the draft "Strategy for the Development of the Communications Industry in the Russian Federation for 2024-2035," which was published in May 2023. Read more here.

SCRF approved frequencies for Wi-Fi 6Ye in offices and residential buildings

On December 23, 2022, at the meeting State Commission on Radio Frequencies (SCRF) , it was decided to allocate a range of 5.9-6.4 GHz for Wi-Fi the 6E communication standard in offices, residential buildings, etc. As explained "" in To the businessman, Ministry of Digital Development the range will increase the exit speed Internet in closed rooms. This is achieved by using a frequency of 6 GHz and increasing the number of channels.

Wi-Fi 6E supports TP-Link, Zyxel, Asus, Netgear and others. Most of the routers are made by Chinese and Taiwanese companies that have not imposed bans and restrictions on imports to Russia, the newspaper writes.

According to Oleg Ivanov, General Director of the Radio Research Institute (subordinate to the Ministry of Digital Development), earlier in Russia 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands were used for Wi-Fi, and the lower part of the 6 GHz band will now be added. According to him, Wi-Fi in 5 GHz is much faster and more stable than in 2.4 GHz.

Ivanov noted that in terms of the availability of routers with Wi-Fi 6E support in Russia, "there are no big problems":

A significant number of Wi-Fi equipment is produced by Chinese and Taiwanese companies, which did not impose restrictions on imports to Russia. Otherwise, these are mass devices, and their imports can be established from third countries.

The Ministry of Digital Development confirmed that by the end of 2022, routers "are supplied in sufficient quantities through existing supply chains."

Telecom operators support the allocation of new frequencies for Wi-Fi, but doubt that the technology will be able to seriously compete with LTE.

It does not have "normal mobility," but Wi-Fi is quite suitable for partial unloading of the data network in places of mass presence of Wi-Fi subscribers, "VimpelCom told the publication, adding that we can talk, for example, about large shopping centers or concert halls.[4]

In Russia, the Wi-Fi 6E standard may be allowed

In Russia, the Wi-Fi 6E standard may be allowed, which will allow the use of other frequencies for wireless networks. This is a forced measure associated with the growing volume of radio interference at the available frequencies of 2.4 and 5 GHz. This became known on December 8, 2022.

This standard appeared at the beginning of 2021, but after two years it still remains inaccessible for Russians. Wi-Fi 6E uses the 5925-6425 MHz band, but in Russia this band is occupied by fixed radio communications and radio relay communication lines. In addition, in the future they wanted to give it to fifth-generation cellular networks (5G), but their mass distribution is postponed due to the lack of the necessary hardware in the required quantity, both Russian and foreign.

The issue of Russians' access to Wi-Fi 6E will be decided by the State Commission on Radio Frequencies (SCRF) at one of the next meetings. It will take place at the end of December 2022, but it is far from a fact that the commission's decision will be positive. In addition, there is no information on how much time will pass before the commission's permissive verdict comes into force.

But even if Russia is still allowed to Wi-Fi 6E, then significant restrictions will be imposed on its use. Based on this standard, it will be possible to build networks exclusively in closed rooms. In other words, there will be no wireless networks on the street at a frequency of 6 GHz.

In Russia, Wi-Fi operates at 2.4 and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band has long been crowded, as it has been used in wireless networks for more than years - decades. 5 GHz is much freer, but it is also gradually overloaded. In theory, the Wi-Fi 6E standard, due to the transition to 6 GHz, is capable of providing a more stable and reliable wireless connection. In some cases, the speed of wireless information transfer can also increase. This can be achieved, among other things, by eliminating "conflicts" with other devices using the 2.4 GHz band. For example, a Bluetooth connection works on it, the Ministry of Digital Development said. Also, wireless mice and keyboards use this frequency to connect to the signal receiver.

Band overload causes interference in signal transmission. Music and voice in wireless headphones begin to "stutter," the cursor of the wireless mouse begins to "twitch," and typing on the keyboard turns into hell due to letter omissions. Owners of household drones suffer, with communication at the same frequency.

In the two years since the introduction of Wi-Fi 6E, almost all network equipment manufacturers have launched custom routers that support this standard.

Nevertheless, due to the lack of support for this standard in Russia, domestic retailers are in no hurry to import routers capable of operating at a frequency of 6 GHz into the country. According to the source, at the time of the release of the material, they were absent in the catalogs of at least Citylinka, M.Video, Eldorado and some other large networks.

When exactly they will appear in domestic retail^[5] be^[6].

Smart windows using sunlight to distribute WiFi internet created in Saudi Arabia

In early November 2022, it became known that smart windows using sunlight to distribute Wi-Fi Internet were created in Saudi Arabia. The system is developed at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and uses so-called two-element liquid crystal shutters. Read more here.

Intel and Broadcom show Wi-Fi 7 at data transfer rates over 5 Gbps

Intel and Broadcom held a joint presentation to demonstrate successful data transfer over Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) at speeds over 5 Gb/s. This is five times faster than the Wi-Fi 6 standard. This fat is known on September 9, 2022.

In the experiment, company employees also used laptop Dell a Broadcom access point equipped with Wi-Fi 7 chips, which use wider 320 MHz channels in an unlicensed 6 GHz spectrum.

An Intel spokesman noted that this is not the maximum speed of Wi-Fi 7, and theoretically it can be increased.

Partners expect to certify the standard in 2023. The first devices with Wi-Fi 7 support should appear in the second half of 2023. PCs and laptops will start receiving next-generation modems by 2024^[7].

Developing speed 18 Gbps Wi-Fi 7 router released

On July 8, 2022, the Chinese company H3C released, as it claims, the first Wi-Fi 7 router on the market, Magic BE18000. At the same time, at the time of the announcement of the product, the Wi-Fi Alliance has not yet approved the standards for the next generation protocol. Read more here.

A system has been created to help robots "navigate" buildings via Wi-Fi

In late May 2022, engineers at the University of California, San Diego, developed a low-power technology that helps robots map the environment indoors. The system helps robots navigate even in low light or the absence of recognizable landmarks. Read more here.

Qualcomm unveils world's first Wi-Fi 7 chip

At the end of February 2022, Qualcomm demonstrated the world's first Wi-Fi 7 compatible product. According to the developers, the FastConnect 7800 chip guarantees higher performance and reliability, especially in networks with more devices. Devices connected to the network will discharge by 30-50%, the company said. Read more here.

Wi-Fi 6 Release 2

In early January 2022, the wireless industry trade organization Wi-Fi Alliance, created to promote wireless technology and compatibility, announced the release of Wi-Fi 6 Release 2. Announcing the standard, the Wi-Fi Alliance pointed to a number of key enhancements: support for multi-user multi-channel input, improvements in power management, and upgrades to multi-user technology with multiple inputs and multiple outputs.

At the end of 2022, about 2 billion Wi-Fi 6 compatible devices are projected to appear on the market. Because users often upload work documents and videos to social media sites via wireless internet, the Wi-Fi Alliance predicts that the upward trend in data consumption will grow as more internet-connected devices send data via Wi-Fi to the cloud.

The Wi-Fi 6 standard adds support for multi-user multi-input multi-output (MU-MIMO) technology to enable smoother playback of streaming services and video conferencing, faster data downloads, and more reliable games. The Wi-Fi Alliance is confident that the added functionality will improve network performance and reduce delays when conducting video conferencing, downloading documents and any other critical applications that require more inbound bandwidth.

The adoption of Wi-Fi 6 outpaced previous generations of Wi-Fi, driven by demand for better Wi-Fi connectivity in phones, tablets, personal computers and access points to support high-performance, low-latency use in residential and corporate environments. Technological advances continue to bring speed and efficiency benefits to a wide range of users and use cases, which is especially important in areas with a high density of users or client devices connecting and transmitting large amounts of data. Lowering the cost of chipsets and improvements in Wi-Fi 6 power management will also contribute to the wider adoption of Wi-Fi 6 in IoT for 2022-2024, said Phil Solis, director of research at industry analysts at International Data Corporation.

Three power management features are designed to improve energy efficiency, which benefits enterprise, industrial, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The updated functions are used in all bands supported by Wi-Fi 6: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz. Providing advantages in bandwidth, efficiency, coverage, and performance for home, corporate, and large public networks. It is also claimed that Wi-Fi 6 provides the best possible experience with advanced applications, ensuring WPA3 security and promoting compatibility between certified Wi-Fi devices.

Regarding sleep mode and low power consumption, the functions include transmission target activation time (TWT), increased latency, and multi-user dynamic spatial multiplexing (SMPS) power savings to optimize the power of various battery-powered devices. These features allow multiple devices to receive extended sleep periods, specific wake-up times for data transfer, and enable dynamic disabling of backup receive chains to optimize power consumption on Wi-Fi 6 Release 2 networks.

The updated standard is already being certified and devices that support this standard are expected at the end of 2022. It is unclear whether existing devices can receive firmware updates to support the new standard.^[8]

2021

Only 10% of Chief information officers have already implemented the Wi-Fi 6 standard in their organization

T1 Integration, Huawei and the professional community of digital transformation leaders GlobalCIO 'DigitalExperts conducted a joint study on the topic "Introduction of the new Wi-Fi 6 standard in Russia." Only 10% of Chief information officers have already implemented the sixth standard in their organization, 61% have heard about it, but have not yet used it. This "T1 Integration" reported on November 30, 2021.

According to the results of the study, companies are increasingly using wireless communication for different purposes. 94% of CIOs admit that the volume and requirements for the security of transmitted traffic over Wi-Fi networks have increased significantly over the past 10 years. This is primarily associated with the trend towards mobility and the refusal of users from stationary computers for work purposes. According to respondents, the company is Huawei firmly in the top three leaders in the enterprise-class wireless network market. At the same time, more than half of Chief information officers believe that an integrator with the appropriate certification is required to implement a high-quality wireless Wi-Fi network.

The study showed that IT leaders in Russia certainly classify Wi-Fi 6 technology as promising, they are interested in increasing the performance of the corporate Wi-Fi network, but the conditions for fully unleashing its potential are not enough yet. One of the main restraining factors for the introduction of Wi-Fi 6, according to the study, is the incomplete awareness of Chief information officers about the benefits of the technology (primarily the increased level of cybersecurity). Only 15% of respondents know about all innovations in Wi-Fi 6, another 74% understand the fundamental improvements or advantages of this generation compared to the previous ones, but without immersion in details.

The second equally significant deterrent is curtailed investment in updating the network infrastructure. 64% of IT managers said that their company's annual IT budget allows wireless networks and services to be updated only sporadically. Only 14% of respondents constantly update and develop them, only 8% of respondents are ready to change network equipment more often than once every six years.

Probably, two more factors play a big role, which force us to consider the implementation of Wi-Fi 6 in companies as part of a comprehensive project to modernize the IT infrastructure. It is worth taking into account the presence of an outdated fleet of corporate devices (laptops, tablets) that do not support Wi-Fi 6 - at this stage they make the introduction of this standard meaningless. The transition of many companies to a remote or hybrid mode of operation is also of great importance. As a result of a decrease in traffic growth in the local network of a number of organizations, projects to update the network infrastructure could be postponed, - commented on the results of the study Ekaterina Lyasko, CEO of Global CIO.

In the future, the next 4-5 years, Wi-Fi 6 technology will certainly become the mainstream of the development of the network infrastructure of large and medium-sized businesses. For November 2021 in Russia, it is just starting its steps. In most IT infrastructures of companies, the level of assessment of the significance of the technology has not yet led to the realization of the urgent need for its implementation. Our task as an integrator and technology expert is to convey to company managers a clear understanding of the business value of this standard and help to implement it in a timely manner. We already have sufficient experience in introducing Wi-fi 6 technology in various sectors of the Russian economy, "said Denis Mishin, Head of the Wireless Networks Department at the Competence Center for Network Technologies T1 Integration.

The capabilities and approaches of technology have already opened up the possibilities of digital transformation for many companies, and Wi-Fi 6, as the flagship of innovation, has secured this foundation in the most socially significant areas - as, with telemedicine education elements/, ARVR clever and safe cities, as well as wireless offices. Technologically, Wi-Fi 6 is closest to the consumer, enterprise and than to the state its predecessors. At the same time, it is much more reliable and safer than Wi-Fi of previous generations, and we can talk about its demand not only in the global, but also in the market Russian , - added the Mikhail Shpak head of the technology consulting department. Huawei Enterprise in Russia

Certification of Wi-Fi 6E equipment has begun

In mid-January 2021, the Wi-Fi Alliance began certifying the first group of products with Wi-Fi 6E support. Initially, support for this standard will be implemented in smartphones and computers, later in TVs and VR technologies, the first devices will be on sale in the coming months.

The Wi-Fi 6E wireless network standard allows the use of the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi networks. Traditionally, in the United States, Wi-Fi operates in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. In 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to open 1200 MHz in the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use, and since then, says Kevin Robinson, senior vice president of marketing at the Wi-Fi Alliance, the global momentum for 6 GHz Wi-Fi is increasing by the day.

Great Britain Europe,,, and Chile South Korea have already United Arab Emirates decided to use the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi.,,,,, Brazil,, Canada Mexico Peru Taiwan Myanmar and Japan Saudi Arabia Jordan are making progress in this direction.

Russia is not on this list, because in the 6 GHz band, fixed radio communications and radio relay links operate mainly in the country. Also in the future, frequencies in the 6-7 GHz range in Russia can be given over to the construction of fifth-generation cellular networks. According to Vedomosti, the State Commission on Radio Frequencies (GKRCH) does not exclude such a probability - it plans to consider it in the fourth quarter of 2021.^[9]

We expect very rapid adoption of Wi-Fi 6E in devices, with IDC predicting that more than 300 million Wi-Fi 6E devices will hit the market in 2021, "Robinson said.

This is an incredibly fast deployment for this type of technology, he added.

Companies such as Qualcomm, NXP Semiconductors, Broadcom and Qorvo are working on creating chips for next-generation Wi-Fi devices, MediaTek, Realtek Semiconductors and RichWave will also be implementing Wi-Fi 6E support.

Vice President, Head of Research and Development at Samsung Electronics J.M. Choi said Samsung is proud of its collaboration with the Wi-Fi Alliance and supports the deployment of Wi-Fi 6E, as the new standard will allow for faster and smoother connections.

As a leading innovator in mobile technology, we were among the first to offer Wi-Fi 6 certified products, and look forward to the introduction of new Galaxy devices that can take advantage of increased speed, reduced latency, and extended bandwidth by connecting to frequencies in the 6 GHz band, Choi noted.[10]

2020

The future of Wi-Fi 6 in Russia: communication with the new reality

The Wi-Fi 6 standard is focused on the corporate segment and involves deployment indoors, with a reliable connection to the network of many devices - smartphones, tablets, sensors, CCTV cameras, etc. The cost of such a project will cost business significantly lower than providing similar coverage on the basis of cellular communications. At the same time, the speed in the networks of the new generation of Wi-Fi increases, compared to the previous one, several times.

Main article: The future of Wi-Fi 6 in Russia: connection with the new reality

Where and how Wi-Fi 6 will help: global application practices

Networks based on the Wi-Fi 6 standard allow you to provide services to thousands of users at the same time. This "massive" approach to data transmission is in demand in more industries - from industry and retail chains to sports and entertainment.

Main article: Where and what Wi-Fi 6 will help: global application practices

How to achieve a digital breakthrough with Wi-Fi 6

The Wi-Fi 6 standard (IEEE 802.11ax, announced in the fall of 2019 and approved in 2020) turned out to be a response to current market requests for more wireless network capacity, connecting more users with guaranteed performance of devices and applications. So, Huawei the notes a fourfold increase in the bandwidth of a 6 Wi-Fi -based network in comparison with Wi-Fi 5, as well as an increase in guaranteed bandwidth per user 1 due to speeds up to 100 Mbps (against the previous 11 Mbps, and not always guaranteed).

Main article: How to achieve a digital breakthrough with Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi 6 Digital Business Potential: High-Speed Technology to Boost Revenue

Wireless access technologies are evolving under the influence of new challenges dictated by the digital transformation of business and society. The challenges of forced development require new data transfer rates and high network availability to quickly launch current products and successfully monetize them.

Main article: Digital potential of Wi-Fi 6 for business: high-speed technologies will help increase revenue

Revolutionary Wi-Fi 6: how the new standard will accelerate the world of the Internet of Things

Wi-Fi 6 technology will increase data transfer speed and bandwidth of both new and existing wireless networks. The enterprise-centric standard will provide the flexibility and scalability of the infrastructure to quickly launch digital services.

Main article: Revolutionary Wi-Fi 6: how the new standard will accelerate the world of the Internet of Things

2019

Starting the Wi-Fi 6 standard

In mid-September 2019, the Wi-Fi Alliance, which includes all major manufacturers of wireless equipment (more than 320 companies), officially released the Wi-Fi 6 standard. This is one of the last stages before the mass distribution of devices using the new technology.

Wi-Fi 6 differs from its predecessor - Wi-Fi 5 - by an increase of almost one and a half times the data transfer rate (9.6 versus 6.9 Gbps). However, the real speed increase for end users should be about 30-40%.

In addition, the new standard provides for a better WPA3 encryption system (Wi-Fi Protected Access III) and is capable of providing higher stability in crowded areas with W-Fi support. The technology works in the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands, which provides more bandwidth.

Other features of the technology include MU-MIMO technologists, which allows the router to receive and send several signals at the same time, as well as work at 160 MHz.

In mid-September 2019, the Wi-Fi Alliance began official certification of Wi-Fi 6. Later in the fall, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers will ratify the standard, after which more and more devices that support this technology will begin to appear on the market.

The first to receive Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6TM certification was the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 smartphone. The Korean flagship will be able to have stable communication on busy public networks, as well as spend less energy when exchanging data over Wi-Fi. Also, the updated standard is supported by the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.

The readiness to participate in the certification program was expressed by Asus, AT&T, Boingo, Broadcom, Cisco, Comcast, Intel, Netgear, Qualcomm, Samsung, TP-Link, Xiaomi, etc. ^[11]

2018

New Wi-Fi Standards Simplified Designation

In early October 2018, the Wi-Fi Alliance, which brings together the largest manufacturers of computer equipment and wireless devices, announced a long-awaited simplified scheme for designating Wi-Fi standards. Instead of complex numeric-letter combinations, serial numbers will be used.

For example, 802.11ax became known as Wi-Fi 6, and the previous 802.11ac standard was Wi-Fi 5. Version 802.11n was designated Wi-Fi 4, etc.

The simplified scheme will allow technically untrusted users to find out more easily which version of Wi-Fi their devices support. It is assumed that the new option will be used in the user interfaces of operating systems, and next to the Wi-Fi icon, a number with the communication standard number will appear over time. Simple numbering of standards, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, can be used for advertising purposes when manufacturers want to show how fast their equipment works on wireless networks.

The Wi-Fi Alliance emphasizes that the new standard naming system is not mandatory. This means that developers of Wi-Fi-compatible equipment can also use old designations, such as 802.11ax.

However, most likely, manufacturers will support designations understandable to users and will label devices according to the recommendations. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) certification will begin in 2019. This standard promises to improve the spectral efficiency of a wireless network in a busy air environment and to double the theoretical bandwidth compared to the 802.11ac Wave-2 standard.^[12]

Wi-Fi Alliance hopes for a very wide implementation of such a designation system, "says Kevin Robinson, Marketing Director of the organization. - It is extremely unlikely that it will be used everywhere overnight - this is not the path that will work right away. But the industry will shift to this generational numbering, and ultimately both consumers and the market will benefit.

According to Robinson, market participants "very transparently" discussed the rebranding of Wi-Fi, and they did it each with each other.

If you want Wi-Fi, solve the equation: how students are motivated in the PRC

In one of the Chinese universities, they came up with an original way to motivate students to study. To access public Wi-Fi in the on-campus dining room, students are encouraged to solve the equation. This was reported in September 2018 by the Daily Mail, citing the publication of the Chinese-language resource Beijing News.

We are talking about the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA), located in Jiangsu province in the east of China. The institution mainly teaches natural science subjects and engineering, according to The South China Morning Post. The university trains specialists for the aviation and space industries.^[13]

As follows from the inscription on the laminated plate, which was hung on the wall of the university canteen next to the menu, the password for Wi-Fi access is the first eight digits from the answer to the differential equation, which is given below.^[14]

In an interview with Beijing News, the canteen manager explained that the task is a basic equation from higher mathematics. According to her, the task was invented for the sake of a joke, but at the same time it is intended to remind freshmen that they need to study hard. Students who cannot cope with the equation should do more, and not spend time on the Internet, she added.

The publication also talked with students, and one of the students said that a person who understands mathematics is able to solve the equation in just 30 seconds.

Photos with an equation from the dining room of Nanjing University, published on Chinese social networks, caused a great resonance. In the comments, some users criticized the idea, others said that they could not afford such an equation. There were also those who solved the equation and posted the answer online. The Wi-Fi password turned out to be the first digits of Pi.

2015

Waiting for the "second wave" of Wi-Fi 802.11ac

The 802.11 ac version of the IEEE 802.11 wireless standards family, approved in January 2014, was divided into two "waves" - Wave 1 and Wave 2. The first "wave" is implemented in the network equipment of many manufacturers, the second "wave" started in January 2014 (the appearance of the first devices of the second wave 802.11 ac is expected in 2015). However, the introduction of these "waves" with almost the same names and the same band of supported frequencies (5 GHz) will require various efforts from operators^[15].

The creation of an 802.11ac Wave 1 Wi-Fi network did not require major changes to the current 802.11n Wi-Fi operator architecture - just add 802.11ac plug-ins to the access points. The second "wave," which is expected to increase access speed to 6.9 Gbps (Wave 1 has a maximum of 1.3 Gbps), needs a different approach - significant network upgrades are required for implementation, otherwise no speed increase will work. It's all about the multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) technology supported in 802.11ac Wave 2, which provides the ability to control bandwidth for each user, it is she who needs to rebuild the network.

But, according to experts, one should not rush to implement the second "wave," since the first has not yet developed its potential. 802.11ac IDC Wi-Fi Wave 1 hardware sales are projected to surpass 802.11n Wi-Fi hardware sales only in 2015. In addition, in corporate Wi-Fi networks targeted by the 802.11ac standard, the real demand for speeds of 6.9 Gbps is small - usually 1 Gbps is enough.

However, some equipment manufacturers are ready for the second "wave." In March 2015, Ruckus Wireless announced the launch of access points for 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi networks. Deliveries of its dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz) ZoneFlex R710 access points should begin before the end of the second quarter of 2015, and the price is announced - $1295. Testing of devices took place in San Jose, where for laptops it was possible to achieve an access speed of 445 Mbps, and for smartphones - 200 Mbps (only for devices supporting the 802.11ac standard). In early May 2015, the Wave 2 Wi-Fi access point chips were announced by Broadcom. According to the company's specialists, new PCs, tablets and smartphones with the corresponding subscriber Wi-Fi Wave 2 modules will become widespread on the market in the next 2-3 years. Tablets with support for MU-MIMO technology used in Wi-Fi Wave 2 were recently announced by Acer, and the Chinese company Xiaomi has launched a $200 Mi 4i smartphone with support for this technology.

It was possible to make a wireless power source from a Wi-Fi router

Researchers from the University of Washington, led by Joshua Smith, found that a slightly modified Wi-Fi router on a regular chipset can supply electricity to various devices, from temperature sensors to small-resolution cameras. At the same time, such an unusual use of the router does not lead to a significant decrease in the quality of the communication provided to it, it transmits nplus1.ru.

The developers of a new system called PoWiFi (Power over WiFi) used the Atheros AR9580 mass chipsets for the experimental router. The modification concerned only the mode of using such a device: instead of sending a radio signal when the client device asks for it, the new router gives a signal constantly. When it is not fully loaded with requests from local network clients, the router broadcasts "noise," radiation that does not carry information, but provides a small amount of energy to any device equipped with their Wi-Fi receiver. In this case, radio waves are sent over several Wi-Fi channels at once.

In the course of experiments to assess the effectiveness of such a scheme, the researchers created two modified devices (temperature sensor and camera), powered only by Wi-Fi radio signals. The receivers used to collect energy from such radio signals were collected by the authors of the work from commercially available analog devices used in radio engineering.

2014

Wi-Fi changes approach to work

The explosive growth in the number of connected mobile devices (as well as the increase in speeds for their work on the network) has not ^[15] at allAccording ^[15]. Recently, the topic of mobile technologies and the workspace has been discussed in the context of an increase in the number of smartphones and tablets and the ability of companies to maintain personal devices of employees in order to ensure a new principle of operation. But with new high-speed mobile devices with a fast Internet connection and workspace, the development of mobile technology moves to the next level, where on average there are several mobile devices for each employee. Wearable gadgets will lead here. Their number is expected to increase from 109 million in 2014 to 578 million in 2019 .

Companies risk missing out on possible benefits and losing gross profit if they do not prepare for the influx of wearable gadgets and other connected devices, especially if employees bring to work various devices with constant Internet access and/or applications requiring high bandwidth to quickly and easily complete their tasks. The ability of employees to rationalize their activities and increase business value largely depends on the capabilities of the corporate wireless network and qualitatively new network speeds. The average speed of a mobile connection is increasing (only in 2014 it increased by 20 %), and the ability of companies to maintain such speeds for the growing number of devices connected to a Wi-Fi network is becoming critical.

Mobile Trends, 2015

It should be expected that the transition to a new level of Wi-Fi (the 802.11ac standard of the second wave - Wave 2) will lead to an increase in wireless speeds by almost 10 times compared to the 802.11n standard, which will be very beneficial for users of smart devices and wearable gadgets. A well-organized high-speed Wi-Fi network transforms the workspace, providing diverse employees with advanced capabilities to interact and use their devices from smartphones and tablets to wearable gadgets.

 Wearable gadgets will account for 33 % of connections in North America by 2019, with the majority of such traffic coming from smartphones. As in the BYOD concept, the mobile space of the user and the company will not be delimited. As soon as employees cross the office threshold, the traffic of wearable gadgets will be redirected through the Wi-Fi network. It is worth noting here the desire of users to free themselves from the provider's network so as not to pay for data transmission.

Employees can and will enjoy the benefits of a higher speed and bandwidth Wi-Fi network, especially if such a network can provide the declared speed of the 802.11ac second wave standard and the 802.11ax standard being developed. This will encourage employees to bring more connected devices with them. Given the new stage in the development of mobile technologies covering the workspace, the 802.11ac standard of the second wave promises huge opportunities to support "connected" workers who, using technology, persistently, device by device, seek to change the principle of their work.

Next Generation 10Gb Wi-Fi Technology Tested

In the spring of 2014, Huawei conducted laboratory tests of the industry's first 10 Gbps Wi-Fi service at its headquarters in Shenzhen. The technology provides data transfer over Wi-Fi channels with a tenfold increase in speed compared to the fastest available commercial Wi-Fi technology. This is an important step toward leveraging data-intensive applications by leveraging ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi technology based on advanced next-generation architecture.

The technology provides a record data transfer rate of 10.53 Gbps in the 5 GHz frequency band. The successful result of this test and the tenfold increase in the efficiency of using the frequency spectrum, which made it possible to implement it, lays the foundation for the creation of a new generation Wi-Fi technology. According to Huawei experts, ultra-fast Wi-Fi technology could become available for commercial use from 2018, depending on the agreement of the requirements of international standards and the availability of chips.

The demand for ultra-fast connections for smartphone applications requires a constant increase in data transfer rates, so the next generation Wi-Fi access technology should provide an improvement in the quality of services, especially in places with a high population density that require high density of implementation, for example, in offices, airports, stadiums, shopping centers and cafes.

To solve this issue, in 2010 Huawei began research on next-generation Wi-Fi technology to develop an innovative Wi-Fi architecture, devoid of the disadvantages of traditional radio IP transmission and processing of Wi-Fi base band data to increase the transmission rate of subscriber data. Leveraging innovative technologies such as MIMO-OFDA, intelligent frequency spectrum allocation, consistent interference compensation, and hybrid access will enable next-generation Wi-Fi networks to provide services in traffic-intensive areas with tenfold frequency spectrum efficiency.

Huawei continues to actively support and invest in scientific research of advanced Wi-Fi technologies. The company has made the biggest contribution to the development of a new generation of Wi-Fi standards. At a plenary meeting of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) on the 802.11 WLAN standard, which was held May 12-15, 2014 in Hawaii, Huawei representative Dr. Osama Aboul Magd was elected chairman of the WLAN 802.11ax working group. The group's tasks include the development of a new generation 10 Gb/s Wi-Fi standard, which is planned to be commercially launched in 2018.

2012: Wi-Fi with geolocation functionality of client devices helps business

In recent years, Wi-Fi networks have covered huge areas of premises and street areas, moving from NICE-TO-HAVE (something desirable) to MUST-BE (something mandatory). This was largely facilitated by the spread of smartphones and tablets, as well as the informatization of society as a whole. With the help of the Internet, you can now make an appointment with a doctor, register for a flight, put a child in line at a kindergarten, pay traffic police fines, correspond with the tax service, check the grades of children at school and much more.

The presence of Wi-Fi often becomes a profit generator. Take the hotel business, where Wi-Fi directly affects hotel occupancy. Wireless Internet access is becoming mandatory to ensure the educational process.

Some companies and organizations are trying to imagine the lack of Wi-Fi as a distinctive feature of their business ("We do not have Wi-Fi, communicate with each other!"). Statistics, however, indicate that Wi-Fi-based services are in great demand:

• 29% of buyers in Europe respond to the special offers received in this way (Mobile Marketing Association, 2010);
• 40% of stadium visitors responded to the offer to buy a hotdog at a discount during the match (Mobile Internet 2.0: Monetizing Public Wi-Fi via Business to Consumer Relationships, 2012);
• 53% of mobile users are ready to share information about their location in order to receive relevant offers about the availability of services, promotions and discounts (JiWire, 2010).

2009-2011

According to Strategy Analytics, by the end of 2011, Wi-Fi hotspots were installed in 439 million households - a fourth of the total number of households in the world.

The highest proportion of households with Wi-Fi access is registered in South Korea. There are just over 80% of them. The UK, France and Germany lag behind South Korea, but all of these countries have Wi-Fi prevalence rates above 70%. In the United States, it is only 61%.

Strategy Analytics predicts that almost 800 million households (42%) will be provided with Wi-Fi access by 2016. The main growth will be in China. Already, China has the largest number of households in the world with access to Wi-Fi, and by 2016 it will increase by another 110 million, analysts say.

The popularity of Wi-Fi networks is growing not only in the consumer sector. The market for equipment for wireless corporate networks in the fourth quarter of 2011 grew to a record high of $893 million, notes Infonetics Research. While the bulk of the funds are still spent on Ethernet hardware, wireless technology is driving market growth.

Since 2009, over 9 billion devices with a wireless Wi-Fi interface have been sold in the world. The number of smartphones, laptops, tablets, printers and automotive electronics is increasing, and the fastest growth is observed in the sector of TVs with a network connection. In 2011, 17 million such televisions were sold in the world, and in 2012 - already 30 million. By 2017, ABI Research analysts predict that their sales will increase fourfold.

In the early years, growth in the Wi-Fi device market was provided by network equipment, but soon the main sector became, smartphones analysts say. The growth factor in the coming years will be mobile applications and home systems. Wi-Fi will not only provide access to, Internet but also communication between various home electronic devices - TVs, tablets and smartphones. The advent of the Miracast wireless display standard will further increase the number of home devices equipped with Wi-Fi interfaces.

Six manufacturers share 85% of the global Wi-Fi chip market: Broadcom, Qualcomm, MediaTek, Marvell, Intel and Texas Instruments.

Pub­lichnyye to­chki Wi-Fi - dos­tu­pa in Russia

• Public Wi-Fi networks in Russia
• Internet Access (Russian and CIS Market)
• VPN and privacy (anonymity, anonymizers)

Nationwide WiFi network in the United States

Vedomosti in February 2013 announced a global project by the US authorities to deploy a Wi-Fi network nationwide. The new WiFi network will be much more powerful than the current ones and will provide broadband access in almost all urban areas of the United States, as well as in most rural areas, according to The Washington Post, citing FCC Chairman Julius Jenachowski. He proposes to deploy a WiFi network at the frequencies that operators receive for unlicensed use - the FCC began issuing such frequencies in 1985. However, in order to implement a WiFi project, it is necessary that also broadcast TV operators sell part of the frequencies to the government.

Dissatisfied with the idea of ​ ​ the entire wireless industry, whose annual turnover is estimated at $178 billion, as users of the nationwide WiFi network will be able to use it for free IP calls. Representatives of cellular carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, as well as cellular equipment maker Qualcomm are making powerful lobbying efforts to prove that unlicensed frequencies should be sold to companies. The Intel representative also believes that with unlicensed frequency allocation, the motivation for investing in network equipment and improving the quality of services disappears, and the frequencies seized from TV operators should be transferred to fourth-generation carriers.

Big tech companies like Google or Microsoft are happy with the idea. According to their representatives, the national WiFi network will cause an explosive increase in innovation, the emergence of many new mobile devices and will have a positive effect on the well-being of Americans, especially the poor.

During 2014, American cable and satellite operators pursued a rather aggressive policy to expand their Wi-Fi networks. Networks spread throughout the United States already number more than 9 million hotspots (of which 8 million belong to Comcast, which has about 23 million subscribers). And in 2015, it is planned to increase the number of installed Wi-Fi access points by 10 times. Comcast is also going to increase the functionality and especially the bandwidth of Wi-Fi equipment offered to subscribers. It is due to the "wide pipe" that the operator expects to receive profits from new video services.

Analysts are already even warning that the day is not far off when Wi-Fi networks, which are still acting as auxiliary networks, will become the main networks not only for Internet access, but also for mobile communications, i.e. users will remember cellular networks only when there is no Wi-Fi network available. According to Fiercewireless.com, according to Adobe's report on the use of mobile networks in 2014, in the United States, 93% of data received by tablet users from the Internet were downloaded via Wi-Fi connections and only 7% via cellular networks; for smartphones, the situation is not so asymmetric, but for them, Wi-Fi technology defeats cellular communications with a score of 57% - 43%. In addition, back in February 2014, Cisco published a forecast according to which by 2018 the 64% of cellular network traffic will be transmitted using Wi-Fi networks (the so-called Wi-Fi offload - unloading the network via Wi-Fi channel).

True, operators continue to call Wi-Fi networks an addition to the networks they already have. This is stated in particular by Time Warner Cable, which since April 2014 has been deploying its national Wi-Fi network TWCWiFi-Passpoint. It is especially worth noting that American cable operators are already cooperating to provide Wi-Fi access to their subscribers. So in May of this year, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Cox Communications and Bright House Networks announced that all their users will be able to access a single CableWiFi network when located outside the areas served by their operator. There is also an active involvement of users in Wi-Fi networks. For example, Scratch Wireless, which is an MVNO operator operating on Sprint's infrastructure, provides its customers with Wi-Fi access for free. Sprint itself launched a Wi-Fi voice calling service in February this year. Soon after, Apple provided support for Wi-Fi calls in its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones. True, so far only those American iPhone 6 owners who are subscribers of the T-Mobile US operator can talk on Wi-Fi. The same company T-Mobile began to provide its subscribers with a Cellspot Wi-Fi router for free Wi-Fi calls from home. In 2015, AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless are going to launch similar voice services via Wi-Fi. In the direction of voice over Wi-Fi, manufacturers of Wi-Fi equipment, in particular Ruckus Wireless, whose equipment is also represented on the Russian market, are going to develop their products.

Wireless in airplanes

In 2010-2011, there was a significant increase in the use of broadband communication in aircraft (in-flight broadband Wi-Fi) and the number of aircraft equipped with appropriate equipment. As of September 2011, new providers are entering this segment of the market, which will provide growth in the coming years^[16]

If earlier this whole market was concentrated in the United States, now its borders are expanding, over the past year such services have also been provided in Europe, and recently in the Middle East. And if in 2010 the turnover growth was 4%, then in 2011 - already 7%. According to the forecast of In-Stat, in 2015 the turnover in this market will exceed $1.5 billion.

Basically, smartphones and tablets are now used for communication in airplanes. In the US, having Wi-Fi on board an aircraft is seen as a necessary option for competition. Further, this will become simply mandatory, the question will no longer be about the possibility of connection as such, but about the expansion of such services and functions. Providers are starting to offer wireless video and voice services as well.

Hacking wi-fi

2023: Hackers launch new attack on public Wi-Fi networks to spread viruses

In mid-January 2023, it became known that attackers from the Roaming Mantis group organized a new scheme for distributing malicious software. For this, public Wi-Fi wireless networks are used.

It is reported that since September 2022, researchers Kaspersky Lab"" recorded attacks to steal user credentials. In addition, during these cyber attacks , malicious was spread. ON The attack has the designation Roaming Mantis: it is aimed at devices under control. Android

The malware Wroba.o/XLoader scans Wi-Fi routers to find vulnerable models and, if successful, changes their DNS. The malware then creates an HTTP request to hack the DNS settings of the vulnerable Wi-Fi router, as a result of which the connected devices are redirected to malicious web pages. On them, in turn, phishing forms are placed.

The updated version of the Wroba.o/XLoader malware for Android targets specific models of Wi-Fi routers. This approach allows attackers to carry out more targeted attacks and compromise only certain users and regions, avoiding detection in all other cases. During attacks, phishing SMS messages are used to direct targets to a malicious website. If the user's mobile device is a gadget with Android, he is invited to install a malicious APK package. In the case of owners of Apple devices, they are redirected to a phishing page to steal credentials.

The XLoader malware has 113 hard-coded strings used to detect specific models of Wi-Fi routers. If there is a match, the malware intercepts DNS by changing the router settings. When other Android devices connect to a Wi-Fi network, they will be redirected to a malicious landing page and prompted to install malware. This creates a constant stream of infected devices to further hack Wi-Fi routers into public networks.^[17]

2019

Android application for finding Wi-Fi access points revealed passwords of 2 million networks

Downloaded from the Google Play Store by thousands of users, the WiFi Finder app lets you find nearby available Wi-Fi networks. Users can also upload passwords to access wireless networks from their devices to the application database so that others can use them. However, this database was in the public domain, and anyone could dig into it with^[18].

Security researcher Sanyam Jain discovered the database and reported it to TechCrunch reporters. For more than two weeks, they jointly tried to contact the developer of the application, allegedly located in China, but to no avail. As a result, the journalists turned to the hosting provider DigitalOcean, which on the same day turned off the unprotected database.

Each record in the database contained the name of the Wi-Fi network, its exact location, BSSID ID and password in unencrypted form. Although, according to the developer, the application provides passwords only for accessing public wireless networks, the database contains data from many home networks.

The application does not require users to obtain permission from the owner of the Wi-Fi network, thereby exposing it to the threat of unauthorized access. With access to the network, an attacker can change the router settings so that unsuspecting users get to malicious sites. While on the network, the offender can also view unencrypted traffic passing through the wireless network and steal confidential data.

Vulnerabilities in the WPA3 protocol

Less than a year since the launch of the WPA3 standard (Wi-Fi Protected Access III), designed to eliminate the technical shortcomings of the WPA2 protocol, which has long been considered unsafe and vulnerable to a Key Reinstallation Attack (KRACK) attack, researchers have identified a number of serious vulnerabilities in the standard that allow you to extract a Wi-Fi password and penetrate the network^[19]

Although the WPA3 protocol relies on a safer SAE handshake (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals), known as Dragonfly, which aims to protect Wi-Fi networks from autonomous dictionary attacks, specialists Mathie Wenhof (Mathy Vanhoef) and Iyal Ronen^[20] have identified several design flaws in the early implementation of WPA3-Personal that provide the ability to recover Wi-Fi passwords using timing attacks or cache attacks.

"In particular, attackers can read information that is considered securely encrypted. They can use this to steal confidential data, for example, payment card numbers, passwords, chat messages, emails, and so on, "the experts explained

.

In total, experts have identified five problems, collectively called DragonBlood. In their report, Wenhof and Ronen described two types of design flaws - one leading to downgrade attacks, the second to cache leaks.

Since WPA3 is not yet as widespread, to support older devices, certified WPA3 devices offer a "transition mode of operation" in which you can configure the connection using both WPA3-SAE and WPA2. It turned out that this mode is vulnerable to downgrade attacks, which attackers can use to create a malicious access point that supports only WPA2, forcing WPA3-enabled devices to connect using an unsafe four-way WPA2 handshake. In addition, Dragonfly's handshake itself is also vulnerable to downgrading attacks. Attackers can use this drawback to force the device to use a weaker elliptical curve than usual.

As noted, to carry out downgrade attacks, an attacker needs to know the SSID of the network WPA3- SAE.

The researchers also described a number of sync-based (CVE-2019-9494) and cache attacks (CVE-2019-9494) to get a Wi-Fi password, as well as a DoS attack that can be carried out by initiating a large number of handshakes with the WPA3 access point.

2018: WPA3 Data Protection Protocol (Wi-Fi Protected Access III)

The association of the largest manufacturers of computer equipment and wireless Wi-Fi devices Wi-Fi Alliance published^[21]early 2018 the first details about the WPA3 data protection protocol, which should replace WPA2^[22] become^[23]

The first official draft of the WPA3 authentication protocol will be available later in 2018, but the Wi-Fi Alliance has released data on the four main features present in the new security standard.

The first feature is protection against brute force attacks by blocking the authentication process after several unsuccessful authorization attempts.

The second feature is the ability to use Wi-Fi devices located near each other as a configuration panel for other devices. For example, a user will be able to use their phone or tablet to configure Wi-Fi WPA3 settings on another device that does not have a screen, such as smart bulbs, door locks, etc.

The third feature, described as "individual data encryption," allows you to encrypt connections between each device and a router or access point. The fourth feature is an improved cryptographic standard designed for Wi-Fi networks with higher security requirements, such as government and defense agencies, as well as industrial production. More details on the protocol are expected later in 2018.

2017

Vulnerability of the Year - WPA2: data in all Wi-Fi networks in the world turned out to be available for interception

A security researcher named Mati Vanhouf has identified a set of serious vulnerabilities in the WPA2 protocol, used to protect WiFi wireless networks. The vulnerability allows reading data that was previously considered reliably encrypted. All existing WPA2 implementations were affected, which means that all WiFi networks in the world are vulnerable. Users are advised to install patches on their wireless devices as soon as they become available.^[24]

"If your device supports WiFi, it is most likely vulnerable," the researcher points out. "In the course of research, we found that one or another type of attack can be carried out against Android, Linux, Apple, Windows, OpenBSD, MediaTek, Linksys and others." In other words, all WiFi implementations on the planet can be successfully attacked.

The attack described by Vanhuf was called KRACK - from the "key reinstallation attack." If it succeeds, a potential attacker can intercept and decrypt any data that the victim sends, and in some cases receives. The most "destructive" can be the consequences of an attack on Linux or Android versions 6.0 and higher, since, according to the researchers, "both operating systems can be cunning to (re) install zero encryption keys." With other systems, it will be more difficult to decrypt all packages, but most of them can still be opened.

"While many websites and applications may use HTTPS as an additional layer of protection, we have to warn that in many cases this protection can be circumvented," the researcher notes.

WPA2 implies a four-way representation when establishing a connection. When the client tries to connect to a secure WiFi network, the procedure of such a presentation is launched to confirm that both the client and the access point use the correct data for access. At the same time, a new encryption key is requested, which will be used to protect all subsequent traffic.

The KRACK attack using fairly simple manipulations with cryptographic messages allows you to force the attacked system to issue not a new, but an already used key. When the key is reset, the parameters associated with it - such as the transmitted packet number (Nonce) and the received packet number (repeat counter) - are reset to the original value. Only a one-time key can guarantee security, but WPA2 does not, as it turned out, guarantee this.

The fact is that with a four-way representation, the access point can re-issue its own identification message ("message number 3") if it does not receive the correct answer. The client can thus receive this message several times. And each time it will reinstall the same encryption key, resetting the above parameters to the previous values. An attacker can repeatedly provoke such resets and through this attack the encryption protocol itself. Packets can be retransmitted, decrypted, or even spoofed if WPA-TKIP or GCMP encryption is used, rather than AES-CCMP.

The following indices are assigned to the identified vulnerabilities:

• Ошибка цитирования Отсутствует закрывающий тег </ref>: reinstalling GTK group key at four-way view
• ^[25]: reinstalling IGTK Group Integrity Key at Four-Way View
• ^[26]the GTK key when the group key is represented.
• ^[27]: reinstallation of the IGTK key at four-way when representing the group key.
• ^[28]: receiving a quick transfer request for the basic set of services (FT) again and reinstalling the paired master key (PTK-TK) during its processing.
• ^[29]: Reinstall STK key when authenticating with PeerKey.
• ^[30]: Reinstall PeerKey for TDLS authorization.
• ^[31]: Reinstallation of the group key (GTK) when processing the response frame in the case of a transition to sleep mode within Wireless Network Management (WNM).
• ^[32]the Integrity Check Key (IGTK) when processing the response frame in the event of a hibernation within Wireless Network Management (WNM).

"This is one of those relatively rare cases where an identified gap claims to be" vulnerability of the year. " The scale of the problem is really colossal, given the ubiquity of WiFi connections, - said Roman Ginyatullin, an information security expert at SEC Consult Services. "It remains to be hoped that corrections to the protocol will be made very soon - the risk is too great to delay the release of patches."

A full technical description of the problem is available here^[33]

Corporate Wi-Fi networks are vulnerable to hacker attacks in 100% of cases

In all security analysis projects without exception, Positive Technologies researchers have discovered security problems that open up the possibility of attacks through companies' wireless networks. These problems can only be solved with an integrated approach to ensuring the security of corporate infrastructure, experts say^[34].

One of the most common security problems of corporate Wi-Fi networks is the use of dictionary passwords, which are easy to find. Positive Technologies researchers have encountered them in almost all projects to analyze the security of IT infrastructure.

In addition, errors in the configuration of Wi-Fi networks are often encountered, expanding the capabilities of the intruder to carry out attacks. Such security disadvantages include the absence of a limitation on the signal strength of wireless routers, as a result of which the connection to the company's network can be made outside the controlled area - from a neighboring building or from a parking lot. This, for example, allows hackers to conduct attacks on the devices of company employees outside the controlled zone and intercept authentication data to access corporate resources.

In addition, as experience in security analysis shows, in many cases, after connecting to a guest network, other network segments can be accessed, including LAN resources.

It often happens that the company has limited access to the Internet for employees, individual web resources are blocked. To bypass these restrictions, often employees connect to the sites they need from smartphones. And for greater convenience, they can deploy a wireless access point on a smartphone, to which they connect a workstation and use Internet resources through such an unauthorized connection that is not protected in any way. On average, three unauthorized access points were identified during the analysis of the security of wireless networks at each site in 2016. In one of the companies, 7 such points were found at once.

2016: How to determine the fact of hacking a Wi-Fi network

The first sign of hacking a home Wi-Fi network, with a high probability, will be a drop in the speed of Internet access.

The first thing you need is to check the Wi-Fi router:

connect to the router using the username and password (if they have not been changed after the purchase, they must be urgently changed) - most often they are indicated on the sticker, on the back of the device). Each router has features and you need to find a page with Wi-Fi status, which provides a list of devices connected to the network.

This information can be located under Connected Devices, Device List, or Home Network.

In such or similar list, you need to check the presence of unknown devices. Any unfamiliar devices indicate that the security of the network is broken: a hacker is or his own indiscretion - you need to find out.

At the same time, it is possible that some devices have "incomprehensible" names that may not say anything, but at the same time they will be completely legitimate. First, you need to check all devices connected to Wi-Fi.

To improve the security level of a Wi-Fi network, technologies operate, in particular, providing access to the network only to specific devices based on their MAC address. Access through a more secure protocol, such as WPA2, is quite effective.

After changing the security protocol settings, you probably need to reconnect all Wi-Fi devices.

Probably, another level of security should be added - a comprehensive solution necessary for installation on PCs and mobile devices with Android, it will help prevent cases of identity theft, block viruses and protect children from exposure to unwanted information.

2010

The British insurance company CPP conducted an experiment in the fall of 2010, checking the safety of 40 thousand. Wi-Fi networks in the six largest cities in the country. He showed that 20 thousand of them did not have a password for access or basic encryption at all. However, even many password-protected networks, experts are able to hack within a few seconds.

As part of an experiment on "ethical hacking," CPP experts spent half an hour in each of the cities, using the freely available to everyone ON to gain access to as many wireless networks as possible.

Almost a quarter of Wi-Fi networks (9.249) have not been password-locked for access, despite 82% of Britons being confident they are completely safe. However, even for secure networks, logins and passwords could be selected very quickly. So, at an hour, experimenters selected 350 logins and passwords, sitting in the center of one of the cities in cafes or shops.

A survey commissioned by the Wi-Fi Alliance in the summer of 2011 showed an increase in the attention of Wi-Fi users to the topic of security, but at the same time revealed a still low level of practical implementation of protection measures.

86% of respondents took at least some steps to ensure the protection of their Wi-Fi access points and routers. And, although 97% believe that data on their devices and networks is completely secure, when answering questions about recommended security measures, they averaged only 66%. Approximately 59% use passwords that do not meet elementary security criteria, only 62% have disabled automatic access to device files on a wireless network, and only 18% use VPN when connecting to unfamiliar Wi-Fi hotspots.

The Wi-Fi Alliance recommends enabling WPA2 encryption on networks, using strong passwords and changing them regularly, and disabling the automatic connection of devices to detected wireless networks.

The results are reminiscent of a survey of drivers conducted by the American AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. 95% of them know that it is dangerous to read and send messages from the phone while driving, but 35% have done so for at least the last month.

Only 5% of IT administrators who participated in a survey conducted in September 2011 on the website of the American magazine PC World work in companies whose corporate Wi-Fi networks are open to everyone and do not even require a password to be used. The rest apply certain security measures. Thus, 36% create two Wi-Fi networks in the company: one for employees, and the other, open, but without access to corporate resources - for visitors. 24% of respondents close access to the Wi-Fi network with a password that is reported to visitors as needed. 12% use network access control tools that check for antivirus programs, installed updates, and security settings. Finally, in 17% of companies, visitors are not allowed to use the corporate Wi-Fi network at all.

The results of a parallel survey for business managers showed that 47% of them are satisfied with the coverage and operating mode of the Wi-Fi network in their company. 29% note employee complaints and the need to modernize the network, and as much as 10% say that their company does not have a corporate Wi-Fi network at all.

Free Wi-Fi hotspots pose a personal security risk

2011: ESET data

In August 2011, ESET developed a number of technical recommendations aimed at protecting users' computers from various types of cybercrime on the Internet when working through open Wi-Fi access points. Half of netizens connect to the internet on the street from time to time using handheld devices, according to a May study by Online Security Brand Tracker. Thus, laptops (41%) are usually used as the main tool for accessing the network via Wi-Fi, netbooks (3%) have become less popular, communicator phones are in third place and tablets close the chain of mobile devices (2%).

According to ESET, users are increasingly faced with cyber fraud and other types of network threats by connecting to the Internet via free Wi-Fi hotspots, such as checking a bank account, paying for a mobile phone, sending mail and other actions. ESET specialists highlight several main security threats that arise when using free Wi-Fi access points:

• Networks organized by hackers can impersonate completely legal free access points.
• Malicious attack ON on a computer connected to this AP.
• Sniffing - interception and analysis by attackers of the user's Internet traffic, which leads to the loss of confidential data.
• Theft of personal information using the man in the middle method, which means a situation in which an attacker can read messages exchanged by users so that they do not even know about his presence.

"In this regard, we recommend not using unknown Wi-Fi access points, as well as minimizing the amount of confidential information stored on a mobile device if possible," comments Greidinger Boris, IT Director of the Russian ESET representative office. "Only verified Internet Access Points must be used for banking."

To access e-mail, you should connect to a Wi-Fi network via the secure https protocol, not http, since a hacker can access the mailbox. Using the http protocol, the user only simplifies his task.

2013: HRS.com: 89% of Wi-Fi connections during vacation are unsafe

According to the HRS.com booking portal (November 2013), 84% of travelers do not take any precautions when connecting to Wi-Fi on tourist trips, despite the fact that most of these connections are dangerous.

89% of open Wi-Fi connections are unsafe due to the fact that the data transmitted through them can become available to attackers. In many ways, this is due to the fact that often tourists are not even aware that their device connects to open networks in automatic mode. Many have already learned to turn off mobile Internet in roaming, but few people guess to turn off Wi-Fi, or at least take basic precautions when using travel.

There are several main dangers that lie in wait for travelers through a connection to an unsafe Wi-Fi point. First, attackers can intercept personal data that is entered to access certain payment systems and bank terminals. Secondly, interception of Internet traffic can lead to the loss of confidential data. And it is impossible to recognize the type of connection, because networks configured by hackers can impersonate completely legal and even free.

So, what can be recommended to travelers so that the trip does not turn into a disappointment:

• Turn off Wi-Fi on your mobile devices when you are not using the Internet
• Refrain from online shopping or online banking
• Don't go on social media or check your email using open connections
• Connect to wireless networks only if you really need it
• Try to use a secure connection in hotels.

2015: Avast data

On March 2, 2015, the information security company Avast published data on a study of various access points in nine large municipal areas of cities, and USA Europe Asia^[35]

A global experiment conducted by Avast specialists showed how unsafe public Wi-Fi hotspots can be. Experts investigated various access points in nine major municipal areas of cities in the United States, Europe and Asia. For the experiment, they used a Wi-Fi laptop and a free public application to monitor local Wi-Fi traffic at 2.4 GHz.

In front of the German Bundestag, Berlin: results of access to public Wi-Fi - details of the network registration are easily accessible, 2015

In the course of the study, it turned out that anyone can quite easily observe Internet activity, search queries, passwords, video materials, electronic messages of users.

Experts noted that Asians are most often attacked. More than half of web traffic on this continent comes from sites using an unsecured HTTP protocol, with 97% of users connecting to open Wi-Fi networks and 7 out of 10 password-protected routers implementing weak encryption methods, leaving them vulnerable to hacking.

In Europe and the United States, the situation is somewhat better, but even here only 20% of users are taking some action to strengthen the protection of their Wi-Fi sessions.

The researchers found that a significant number of users browse mainly unprotected HTTP resources. Almost half of Internet traffic in Asia comes from such sites, while in the United States this figure is one third, in Europe - about a quarter of the total European traffic.

The insecurity of HTTP traffic allowed the Avast team to view user browser activity, including domains, browsing history, searches, personal credentials, videos, email, and comments.

Experts noted that most of the access points under investigation are protected through some form of encryption. However, the often used protective equipment is rather weak and made it easy to hack. The smallest number of weakly encrypted Wi-Fi access points were in San Francisco and Berlin. In New York and London, the number of vulnerable hotspots was more than half, and in Asia - three quarters.

2016: Kaspersky Lab: Every fifth point of public Wi-Fi in Moscow is dangerous

This conclusion was reached by the specialists of the company "Kaspersky Kaspersky)," who analyzed 7 thousand city networks. It turned out that 16% of Wi-Fi networks are completely open and unprotected, and 2% of points use the outdated WEP protocol, which an attacker can hack in a few minutes. Modern WPA and WPA2 encryption protocols were presented in the rest of the investigated^[36] access points^[37] is^[38].

At the same time, in general, Russia in terms of the ratio of the number of open and encrypted public Wi-Fi networks looks better than many countries, said Legezo Denis, an antivirus expert. The most modern and secure WPA2 protocol in the Russian Federation is used by 76% of public points. For comparison, in Germany this figure was 83% of networks.

As Legezo said, attacks on routers are currently actively growing, by analogy with devices running Android and Windows. Also, attackers can create fake access points in public places. For Internet security, experts advise against entering logins, passwords and payment data by connecting to unknown networks, and using VPN, HTTPS and antivirus programs.

Wi-Fi has a harmful effect on trees

Dutch scientists conducted a study of the effect of radio emission of the Wi-Fi range on the condition of trees and concluded that it causes significant changes in growth rate, as well as foliage diseases and crust cracks. The study was launched five years ago at Wageningen University by order of the authorities of the city of Alfen AON of den Riin, whose attention was attracted by trees suffering from incomprehensible diseases that were not, at first glance, associated with any infection. For three months, scientists exposed plants to radio radiation and came to disappointing conclusions. The leaves in the trees, near which was the source of radiation of the Wi-Fi range, gradually acquired the so-called lead sheen caused by the death of the upper and lower epidermis of the leaf. In addition, Wi-Fi radiation slowed the growth of the corn cob core.^[39]

Scientists have identified symptoms of the disease in a number of Western countries. In Holland, they currently affect about 70% of trees in cities. Five years ago, there were only 10% of them. At the same time, trees in forests are practically unaffected. The influence of microparticles contained in the exhaust gases of road transport is also not excluded.

A group of scientists from Denmark conducted an experiment in 2013, during which they found that waves emanating from Wi-Fi sources can affect health. The study is shocking by the findings. Waves from wireless sources caused headaches in children and killed houseplants. The experiment affected several schoolchildren who slept for several nights with a phone under their pillow. The phone itself was connected to a Wi-Fi network overnight. It turned out that the very next day the children had a reduced concentration, some complained about^[40]

The second part of the experience was to study the effects of wireless communication on plants. 6 plants were locked for 12 days in a room with a source of waves. In another room there were the same plants, only they were not influenced. At the end of the study, it turned out that in the first room all the flowers curled and turned brown, while the control plants remained the same. It is worth noting that a similar study was conducted in Holland. Scientists have obtained similar data. However, to date, there is not much evidence that wireless communication is capable of destructive action on living organisms. Scientists note that more global research is needed to confirm this theory.

Wi-Fi - The Invisible Killer

"Invisible killer" - this is how some Russian and world scientists nicknamed Wi-Fi. The main thesis against wireless Internet is the constant radiation in which residents of large cities are located. Is Wi-Fi really so dangerous?

Ministry of Health warns

But what the doctors threaten. There are many publications based on research that at the output show all the negativity from using Wi-Fi. Fear number one is the effect on potency in men and on sperm quality. Fear number two is the effect on a person's brain activity. Under the third number - harm to children, because their cranial box is many times thinner.

Electromagnetic radiation reduces sperm quality

In 2011, the World Health Organization classified radiation emitted by mobile phones as a carcinogen - a potential cause of the formation of malignancies. Many studies have been conducted aimed at a comprehensive study of the effect of this radiation on the human body, but so far the data obtained still remain contradictory.

However, scientists managed to prove one fact: mobile phones and laptops - especially those connected to the Wi-Fi network - affect male health in the most negative way. In 2014, a team of researchers led by Jessica Adams from the University of Exeter found that electromagnetic radiation reduced sperm quality and, accordingly, the chances of men becoming fathers.

The results of the work can be found in the journal Environment International^[41]

Scientists analyzed the condition of 1492 samples of male sperm, and during the work, observations of changes in the state of sperm were carried out not only in laboratory conditions (in vitro), but also in vivo, that is, directly in the body of the subjects.

As a result of the work, it turned out: samples exposed to electromagnetic radiation of a mobile phone significantly deteriorated their quality. The number of sperm in them decreased by 8.1%, and their mobility - by 9.1%. The researchers assure that the negative effect occurs after four hours of "irradiation" of sperm with electromagnetic radiation.

Another group of researchers, led by Argentine scientist Conrado Avendano, has figured out how sperm quality is affected by the radiation from laptops connected to a Wi-Fi network. The paper was published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

For their experiments, the scientists used sperm samples taken from 29 men aged 26 to 45. Each of the samples was divided into two parts, one of which was stored under normal conditions, and the second was placed next to a laptop connected to a Wi-Fi network, and was there for four hours. The laptop at that time downloaded various files from the Internet.

As a result of the work, it turned out that on average 25% of sperm contained in test tubes stopped moving, and 9% received damage to genetic material. In samples that were away from computers, these rates were 14% and 3%, respectively.

Of course, researchers of the effect of electromagnetic radiation on male health strongly advise all representatives of the stronger sex to stop wearing smartphones in the front pockets of trousers and put the laptop on its knees while working. For those who are not ready to abandon close contacts with technology, British researchers have finally created a means that can protect men from the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation^[42].

Is science refuting?

It is enough to give a few numbers that are available and known to almost everyone: the peak power of the cellular signal reaches 8 W, the signal of the domestic Wi-Fi transmitter - 100 mW. Permissible energy flow density (as per SaNPiN 2.1.8/2.2.4) is 0.1 W/m2. And the density of the energy flow is a physical quantity numerically equal to the flow of energy through a unit site perpendicular to the direction. The conclusion is obvious: the radiation of wireless Internet does not exceed the established norms.

The best protection against unwanted radiation is distance. Moreover, 1 m is enough (but scientists are "insured" and still recommend 3.5 m).

The same 3G modems pose a much greater danger (and in numbers this is 10 times more radiation), since they work on cellular signals. Hence another conclusion: Wi-Fi routers even reduce the risks of radiation, allowing you to maintain the necessary distance. And if you do not apply the router to the head and other parts of the body, then, obviously, it will not harm the brain or the sexual Wi-Fi system.

And how to relate to the data of numerous experiments and experiments presented by the same WHO? With a significant degree of skepticism, because for any scientifically based conclusions, the observation of "test subjects" should last about three decades, or better than several generations. Wi-Fi has been widely used for less than 20 years...

Green Wi-Fi

California-based network equipment company TRENDnet electronic engineers USA announced its new development, Green Wi-Fi technology, which, according to the developers, can reduce power consumption of routers, access points and wireless adapters by up to 50%, on the eve of the global consumer technology and Consumer Electronics Show (CES-2011), which will be held from January 6 to 9, 2011 in Las Vegas (Nevada).

Green Wi-Fi was created "in the image and likeness" of GreenNet technology, which was first introduced in TRENDnet routers of the N wireless standard in October 2008. GreenNet determines and supplies the required amount of electricity per switch port, depending on the needs of the connected device, the port itself or the length of the connected Ethernet cable, which reduces power consumption by up to 70%.

And Green Wi-Fi works on a similar principle. The Green Wi-Fi chip monitors the activity of each working wireless device and increases, or decreases, the energy flow depending on how actively the device is working (for example, a client can be connected to a server, but data transfer does not occur).

In addition, Green Wi-Fi can reduce power consumption if the signal is strong enough, and no further amplification is necessary. As an example, we can cite a situation where the computer is close enough to the router and there is simply no need for a very strong signal. In this case, the power consumption of the wireless adapter and the router itself will be automatically reduced.

GREENwifi technology is already supported by devices such as the Trendnet TEW-651BR router, TEW-648UBM adapter and TEW-652BRP router from the same manufacturer. All of these devices will be on sale next month.

Wi-Fi Direct

Main article: Wi-Fi Direct (Wi-Di)

Wi-Fi Direct (Wi-Di) is a wireless data transfer protocol that is based on Wi-Fi, but is easier to configure. Its main advantages are the connection speed 12 times higher than Bluetooth, the communication range is up to 100 meters, and most importantly - good security.

Aqua-Fi

Main article: Aqua-Fi: Underwater Data Technology

Aqua-Fi: technology that will allow divers to use the Internet underwater and transfer data to the surface even from the depths of the sea.

See also

• Ethernet
• IEEE 802.11n - Wi-Fi 4
• IEEE 802.11ac - Wi-Fi 5
• IEEE 802.11ad (WiGig)
• IEEE 802.3-2012 Ethernet Standard
• Wireless Hardware Design and Deployment Guide
• Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) - data transfer technology
• Harm from a mobile phone

Notes