Have you ever noticed what the wireless network is called in your phone settings?
Some say that iPhones call it Wi-Fi, while Android phones call it WLAN. In fact, regardless of whether you use an iPhone or an Android phone, or even the same model of phone, there are cases where it is called Wi-Fi and others where it is called WLAN. What’s the truth?
To clarify this issue, we first need to understand the difference between Wi-Fi and WLAN.
WLAN: This is a general term for Wireless Local Area Networks. For networks, it is a type of network mode; for phones, it is a function similar to a computer’s wireless network card.
Its purpose is to use radio frequency (RF) technology for data transmission, enabling communication and resource sharing within a network system.
Wi-Fi: This stands for Wireless Fidelity. Simply put, Wi-Fi is a technology for wireless networking, which used to connect computers via cables but now connects them through radio waves.
Wi-Fi is somewhat similar to Bluetooth technology, and it is a short-range wireless technology used in offices and homes.
Differences Between the Two
1. One is a subset of the other
The main difference is that WLAN is a type of network, and there are many ways to establish a wireless local area network, which also uses various data transmission standards.
Wi-Fi is one of those standards and is currently the most widely used WLAN standard. Wi-Fi is included in WLAN, making it a technology within the WLAN protocol.
2. Different signal transmission powers and coverage areas
The coverage radius of Wi-Fi can reach up to 90 meters, while WLAN’s radio coverage can be much broader, reaching up to 5 kilometers with antennas.
Thus, in daily life, Wi-Fi is usually generated by routers, wireless network cards, or wireless APs, mainly used in smaller areas like homes and offices, while WLAN is often used in larger areas like schools, airports, and other public spaces.
Regardless of whether it is an Apple or Android phone, whether the wireless network is labeled Wi-Fi or WLAN in settings, both currently connect to WLAN via Wi-Fi, and the effect is the same.
So why do the same model of phone have different names?
The reason is that as long as it is a domestically sold device, it will be called WLAN or Wireless Local Area Network, while non-domestic versions (such as Hong Kong versions, U.S. versions, also known as “gray market” products) are referred to as Wi-Fi.
This issue relates to the wireless local area network protocol for self-knowledge property rights that China began to promote in 2003—WAPI.
WAPI stands for Wireless Local Area Network Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure, a security protocol and a mandatory standard for wireless local area networks in China.
At the end of 2003, China planned to enforce the WAPI standard, but it faced resistance from companies like Intel and even the U.S. government.
It wasn’t until June 2009 that WAPI was first agreed upon by over ten countries, including the U.S., U.K., and France, to be promoted as an international standard (meaning it can be standardized, but we won’t use it).
Compared to Wi-Fi, WAPI has better security, but due to various commercial and political reasons, it has not been promoted internationally and remains almost non-existent, resulting in China losing influence in this area.
Apart from the large patent fees, Wi-Fi is an American standard, and its security cannot be guaranteed.
A fallback approach is to require all domestically sold devices to support both WAPI and Wi-Fi protocols. Since both connection methods are supported, it is inaccurate to label this function as Wi-Fi in system settings, so domestic phones refer to this function as Wireless Local Area Network or WLAN. In contrast, “gray market” phones only support Wi-Fi, so it is correct for them to be labeled as Wi-Fi in settings.
So now you finally understand! Is your phone called WLAN, Wi-Fi, or Wireless Local Area Network?
Source: Science Popularization China
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