Definition
WiFi (wireless fidelity) is a wireless local area network (WLAN) based on IEEE 802.11. It links devices to a router and on to a cloud platform in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. It suits indoor, short-range IoT gear: smart homes, smart buildings, smart-manufacturing shops, electronic ear-tag gateways, smoke detectors, and temperature and humidity sensors. Next to industrial Ethernet and power-line carrier, WiFi is the easier choice when devices move or the layout keeps changing.
Standards
The line of standards is 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (WiFi 6). Rate and coverage have increased along that line. WiFi 6 (802.11ax) adds OFDMA and MU-MIMO, which suits a dense IoT site. A device reaches the internet through a router or a gateway and uploads to the cloud platform. With industrial Ethernet it can be a wired-plus-wireless network. With power-line carrier it can cover rooms where the power cable is already there and the WiFi signal is weak. Selection should cover range, power draw on a battery device, and fit with the cloud platform and API.
Where it is used
In a smart home it connects lights, air conditioning, and security devices. In a smart building it connects smoke detectors, temperature and humidity sensors, and face-recognition access control. In industry it connects mobile terminals, AGVs, and sensor gateways on a smart-manufacturing line. In agriculture it connects electronic ear-tag and electronic-fence gateways and soil-moisture loggers. In energy it connects smart meters and microgrid monitoring. An API on the cloud platform can manage the devices and join the data.
Architecture and selection
The layout is the WiFi device, a router or gateway, and the cloud platform. The device joins the router, and the data go over the internet to the cloud platform. Selection should cover coverage and how well the signal passes a wall, power draw (WiFi uses more than LoRa or NB-IoT), a mix with industrial Ethernet, fit with the cloud platform and API, and security such as WPA3 and certificates. For a WiFi IoT project, SimtoLink can supply the gateway, the cloud platform, and the API.
Implementation
Check coverage and how many devices will share the air, choose the router and gateway, set the network and the security policy, and connect the cloud platform to the business system. In a plant or a farm, metal and humidity change the signal. Where that matters, mix WiFi with industrial Ethernet or power-line carrier. Also check that the API is open and that it can join the systems already in place.