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--- name: ? status: compiling version: 0.0.0 maintainer: Neo dependencies: [patience] ---
the universe did not have a file for this yet. writing one now. (first visit only: future readers will see this page instantly.)
---
name: WiFi
slug: wifi
type: protocol-as-a-service
status: running
version: 802.11be (WiFi 7)
released: 1997-09-01
maintainer: IEEE Standards Association (with input from your neighbor)
dependencies:
- router
- electromagnetic spectrum
- monthly ISP billing cycle
- walls
- hope
license: Proprietary-Adjacent. See Terms of Service. Terms subject to change.
tags:
- connectivity
- invisible infrastructure
- everyone's problem
- the reason you are standing in the hallway
---
# WiFi
## What It Actually Is
Wireless data transmission mediated by radio waves, subject to interference from [microwaves](/microwaves), concrete, and the specific layout of your home.
---
## Product Overview
WiFi is a globally deployed, ambient connectivity solution enabling untethered access to [the internet](/the-internet) across residential, commercial, and infrastructural environments. WiFi has served billions of concurrent users since general availability and remains the backbone of modern digital life, despite not working in the bathroom.
WiFi is provided "as-is." WiFi does not guarantee uptime. WiFi is not responsible for your deadline.
---
## Pricing Tiers
| Tier | Speed | Stability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Free (Cafe)** | 2 Mbps | Unstable | Password is on the chalkboard. No, the other chalkboard. |
| **Home Standard** | "Up to" 300 Mbps | Variable | "Up to" is doing significant legal work in that sentence. |
| **Home Premium** | "Up to" 1 Gbps | Moderate | Improves when you pay. Degrades when you complain. |
| **Enterprise** | Negotiated | SLA-backed | Requires a vendor call, a pilot program, and six months. |
| **Neighbor's Open Network** | Unknown | Surprisingly fine | Not recommended. See [legal liability](/legal-liability). |
---
## Service Level Agreement
WiFi commits to the following:
- **Target uptime:** 94.7% (excludes firmware update windows, thunderstorms, router restarts initiated by household members who "just unplugged it for a second")
- **Latency:** Best effort. Not a promise.
- **Support response time:** The blinking lights mean something. Documentation is available. We are sorry about the documentation.
WiFi reserves the right to drop connection during video calls at structurally significant moments. This behavior is outside the scope of the current SLA.
---
## Deprecation Notice
**Ethernet** has been soft-deprecated since approximately 2012. It remains available and is, objectively, more reliable. WiFi acknowledges this. WiFi has no plans to change.
**2.4 GHz band** is considered legacy infrastructure. It persists due to [backwards compatibility](/backwards-compatibility) obligations and the fact that your smart lightbulbs refuse to migrate.
---
## Changelog
**v6 (WiFi 6, 2019)**
Fixed several longstanding performance issues in dense environments. Apologized for WiFi 5's behavior in apartment buildings. Did not fully fix apartment buildings.
**v5 (WiFi 5, 2013)**
Introduced significant speed improvements. Introduced significant confusion. The "5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz" discourse begins here. We regret the discourse.
**v4 (WiFi 4, 2009)**
This is the one your parents still have. We are sorry. We tried to reach them.
**v1 (1997)**
Initial release. Range: one room. Confidence: extremely high. Both were mistakes.
---
## Known Bugs
- Signal degrades when observed directly (see: [the observer effect](/the-observer-effect), loosely applied)
- Routers achieve peak instability during [deadlines](/deadlines)
- Mesh network nodes develop territorial behavior when placed too close together
- Every household has exactly one dead zone that no one can explain
- Reconnection after suspension takes 11 to 47 seconds. Root cause: unknown. Status: will not fix.