This man is Victor Hayes, the "Wi-Fi father" |Digital Trends Spanish
- Computación
The "Wi-Fi father" turns 80 today.His name is Victor Hayes and he was born on July 31, 1941 in the Dutch Eastern Indies, a territory that today is Indonesia.Hayes is an electrical engineer and seniorin -researcher of the Technical University of Delft that actively participated in the area of wireless connections.
Specifically, "Vic" presided over the working group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) that defined the IEEE 802 standard.eleven in 1997.This is a series of technical standards that determine the correct implementation of wireless local area networks (WLAN).In this way, the team, which was formed in 1990, established the first protocol of what we know as Wi-Fi.
If you are reading this, you are likely to know what allows a wi-fi connection.In fact, most people can identify their logo on any device: a small point and a pair of curved lines above that simulate a radar.In this way, they know that they have an Internet connection and that, basically, you can watch and download videos, transfer files, send emails and navigate an infinity of websites.
We talk about an almost omnipresent technology that is used in most domestic and office networks, which allows computers, cell phones, consoles and intelligent house devices to communicate with each other through electromagnetic waves without needof a wired or wired network.
The 802 standard.eleven He laid the foundations for the communication of current wireless networks, and offered, at that time, speeds of up to 2 Mbps (megabits per second).Two years later, that speed increased to eleven Mbps and the standard was ratified as 802.elevenb (also called Wi-Fi 1).The increase in their performance and its economic price made this one the definitive WLAN technology.
In September 1999, the Wi-Fi Alliance organization formed in order to have control of the “Wi-Fi” brand, promote this technology and promote compatibility under the IEEE 802 standard.eleven.It started with six companies, but at present there are around 800 that are part of the organization, including Apple and Facebook.
As time passed, the standards evolved and a letter in alphabetical order was added in his name when a new version appeared.In this way, we advance until the next relevant standard and that today is still used: 802.elevenn (Wi-Fi 4).This was ratified in September 2009, reaches speeds of up to 600 Mbps and works both in the 2 band.4 GHz as in the 5 GHz.
Despite the capabilities of the Wi-Fi 4, the fact that it works in band 2.4 GHz makes it possible to generate interference with other wireless technologies that also work with that frequency, such as Bluetooth.However, this problem was solved with a new standard.
Later, at the end of 2013, the other standard used today was ratified today, 802.elevenac (Wi-Fi 5).This can reach 1,300 Mbps speeds and works in the 5 GHz band.There is also 802.elevenax (Wi-Fi 6), que alcanza velocidades de hasta 10 Gbps y fue aprobado a comienzos de 2021.However, there is still a long way for its massification.
While the original IEEE 802 standard.eleven está obsoleto en la actualidad, con el paso de los años generó una industria multimillonaria en el terreno de las comunicaciones inalámbricas y productos compatibles.Hayes also helped to recognize the need for an additional spectrum for wireless networks and, as a member of the Wi-Fi alliance, has caused the industry to remain active under activities that regulate its implementation.
That Wi-Fi technology has been adopted by countries around the world and that wireless connectivity is currently available to a low cost is due, in part, to Hayes leadership.
