What’s the difference between Broadband, Internet and Wi-Fi?
Technology has gone through rapid development that has given rise to not only new technologies but also terminologies. Most of us have access to the internet and come across different terms which we might think that all mean the same thing.
These terms might be confusing and most people tend to use them interchangeably making it even more confusing. You’ve heard of terms like the Internet and Wi-Fi which are some of the most common, and Broadband. You might have been thinking they all mean the same thing which is not true. In this article, we will break it down for your giving you clear differences between the three terms.
The difference between Broadband, internet, and Wi-Fi is that the internet is a network of connected devices including PCs & servers, Broadband is the term used to connect a Wi-Fi network to the internet by transmitting data at a high speed, and Wi-Fi is a type of wireless connection that allows devices such as a smartphone to connect to the internet via a router wirelessly.
To understand these terms better, let’s break them down one by one.
- Internet
The internet is also known as the Net is literally a network of networks. It is a huge network of servers, computers, and other devices that allow access and sharing of information between each other. The internet contains millions of networked devices that use rules also known as protocols to communicate. When accessing the internet, you use a browser or go through an app. For example, when you open Facebook app on your phone or PC and view your photos and your friend’s status, you are just accessing a computer with huge storage in a data center that is never turned off. This is known as hosting as is provided by big companies including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft that can afford to maintain such data centers.
The internet is too huge that it’s not controlled by anyone. However, for it to function properly, the devices on it communicate using a protocol known as TCP/IP. Your device needs an IP address before it can access the internet.
- Wi-Fi
Over the years with increased internet penetration, a lot of us refer to our home internet connection as Wi-Fi. When settings up an internet connection, you need a modem and router which connect to the coax cable on the wall. Now, the router is responsible for converting your Internet Service Provider’s signals into wireless signals. You can connect a device to the Wi-Fi using a cable or wirelessly. Now, that’s where Wi-Fi comes in. It allows your wireless devices including your smartphone and PC to connect to the network without using cables.
It’s worth noting that you can connect your devices to the Wi-Fi network without an ISP or an internet connection as long as you select the correct Wi-Fi network and enter its password.
- Broadband
Remember that you can connect to a Wi-Fi network without an ISP or internet connection? Broadband is one of the technologies used to connect your devices to the internet. The internet connection from an ISP reaches your house via optical fiber, radio signals, cable lines, and phone lines. With a cable, it cable connects to your cable outlet on the wall. This connection called broadband because the bandwidth used in transmitting data is wide making it faster than a non-bandwidth connection. This data is then transmitted to your modem and your router which then transmits these signals to the rest of your wireless devices.
A Summary table
Broadband |
Internet |
Wi-Fi |
This is a fast way of transmitting an internet connection from an ISP to your home/office |
A network of computers, servers, and other devices connected. |
A type of wireless technology that allows wireless devices like phones to connect to a network and the internet without using cables. |
FAQs
Are the internet and the web the same?
Since most of us access the internet via a web browser, we tend to assume that the internet is also called the web. However, the web like email is just another internet application.
What is an IP address?
An IP address is a combination of characters that PCs and other devices understand. For example, since it’s not easy for a human being to remember this character combination, we get to use an address instead. For example, instead of typing 216.58.223.100, you type google.com to access Google.