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It’s how the internet makes it from your router to your phone, your laptop, your smart TV, your tablet and even your fridge (yep, you read that right). No cords. No digging through drawers for an Ethernet cable. Just instant internet, all over your home.
Imagine trying to run Ethernet cables to your laptop, TV, fridge and even your dishwasher. There would be tangled cords everywhere making it impractical.
That’s where Wi-Fi saves the day.
Wi-Fi uses radio frequencies to wirelessly transmit and receive data between your router and your devices. When your device connects, it’s not just receiving data, it’s also sending signals back. That two-way exchange is what allows you to load a website, send a message or stream a video.
Behind the scenes, fiber Internet enters your home through an ONT (Optical Network Terminal). The router takes that incoming signal and converts it into wireless transmissions across one or more frequency bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz or 6 GHz.
Your devices have a built-in radio that listens for that signal. When it picks it up, it negotiates a connection using a shared standard (like Wi-Fi 5 or 6). Once connected, data flows back and forth between device and router in short bursts (packets) carrying everything from emails to game data, all through the air.
Ever notice the Wi-Fi bars on a device? That’s your signal strength. Those bars represent how strong the connection is between your device and your router.
| Bars | Signal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | None | Not connected |
| 1 | Slow and spotty | |
| 2 | Usable, but not great | |
| 3 | Streaming-ready | |
| 4 | Peak performance |
What affects signal strength?
And even with a strong signal, performance can still drop if:
Wondering why your Wi-Fi speeds don't match that super impressive speed number on your router box? They determine the speed under perfect lab conditions. No walls. No interference. No decorative box hiding the router from guests. (We get it, the router doesn't fit the vibe.)
In real homes, it's a different story. You’ll typically see about 40 to 70% of your router’s max speed, which is perfectly normal.
Improve your signal strength:
Signal strength is only part of the story. Even with full bars, your Wi-Fi performance also depends on which frequency your device is using and which Wi-Fi standard it supports.
Wi-Fi travels on radio frequencies. The main ones are 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz.
Think of them like traffic lanes:
Most modern routers are dual-band or tri-band, allowing them to use multiple lanes at once and steer your devices toward the best one.
You might have heard the terms Wi-Fi 5, 6, 6E and 7. These are Wi-Fi standards and are the rules routers and devices follow to talk to each other.
Each new generation brings improvements in speed, efficiency and how well your network handles multiple devices.
Here’s a rough idea of how they build on each other:
| Wi-Fi Version | Standard | Released | What it added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi 5 | 802.11ac | 2013 | Faster speeds on the 5 GHz band |
| Wi-Fi 6 | 802.11ax | 2019 | Better performance with many connected devices |
| Wi-Fi 6E | 802.11ax | 2021 | Access to the 6 GHz frequency for less interference |
| Wi-Fi 7 | 802.11be | 2024 | Uses multiple bands at once for high-speed, low-latency connections |
It's normal to wonder if your devices will still work as Wi-Fi continues to evolve.
The good news? Wi-Fi standards are designed with backwards compatibility in mind.
This means new routers can support older devices as long as they meet a minimum standard. Your device will connect using the highest standard it supports, as long as your router supports that standard too. If your tablet was made in 2016, it likely supports Wi-Fi 5 and will still connect to a Wi-Fi 7 router using Wi-Fi 5.