We are living in the age of the internet, where everything around us is linked to the internet in some way, shape, or form. You might have heard the term “Internet of Things” or IoT, which is an embodiment of how almost everything in today’s world is working over the internet or is connected to it in some way.
This is evident if we take a closer look at our society where TVs and smartphones that we carry with us all the time, computers, laptops, home automation systems, smart refrigerators, and even small things like smart vacuum cleaners all work while being connected to the internet. This shows how important the internet has become for us. Especially, the need to always remain is connected is more crucial than it was ever before.
There is one critical factor that has played a pivotal role in the surge of internet usage and why there has been a sudden increase in the number of internet users in the past couple of years, which is the pandemic. The pandemic has pushed many people to use cyberspace for most of their tasks.
For example, work from home has become the new norm of working in a corporate organization and this has been possible only because of the internet. Online classes have become the new form of getting an education and this wouldn’t have been possible without connecting to the internet. Similarly, e-commerce was already transforming businesses all over the world through online shopping way before the pandemic and that was also thanks to the internet.
So, we see how important the internet has become for us, and seeing its immense demand, internet service providers are also chipping in by expanding their coverage area so that more and more users can get connected. They are also giving discounts and reducing prices for new customers so that users can have a cost-effective connection to faster internet speeds. Most major providers offer these discounted prices to their customers. For instance, if you check out RCN internet packages, you’ll find speeds up to a Gig and those too at a very economical price. Plus, people are going through tough financial situations, so governments of the world are also giving grants and aid to the public, so that they can remain connected to essential services including the internet.
In retrospect, we have seen that the internet is essentially the backbone of all our communication means today, but let’s take a deeper dive and see how it works and through what mediums can we use it.
Why Connect to Wi-Fi?
Well, the internet that we use today to watch films, work, or take online classes has a couple of complicated underlying factors that make it work. The internet is essentially a global network in which each device is connected to the other devices on the network. The bandwidth you receive from your service provider is sent through data packets either wirelessly or by cables. Most home internet providers use cables as their primary means of transmission because cable networks are more stable, can provide more speeds, and are less expensive. However, in current times, we have seen cellular technologies like 4G also providing a swift speed to a user’s smartphone, but still, Wi-Fi is a more feasible option. Let us explain.
4G connections are mostly data capped, which means users have a certain amount of data that they can use. Plus 4G connections are more expensive, and in devices like smartphones, drain the battery more quickly. One more thing is that 4G connections are limited to the device, e.g. the smartphone, which is the receiver of the cellular connection.
The home internet, which is used with a Wi-Fi router, is the most feasible option for residential users. That’s because not only do you get better speeds, along with a stronger and stable connection but also an unlimited data connection, so you don’t have to worry about data usage. Plus, many users can simultaneously connect to a single Wi-Fi connection. This makes Wi-Fi a more efficient option for your internet needs. But, there are a few steps that need to be followed for a successful Wi-Fi connection.
How to Connect Your Phone to Wi-Fi
The most common device that we all use with our Wi-Fi network is our smartphones. Besides, all other important devices like laptops and computers can be connected to the home internet with an Ethernet cable as well, but for devices like smartphones, you don’t have that option. So, Wi-Fi becomes the most plausible solution in order to connect to the internet without using a wire or running out of your data limit. The process is straightforward and is more or less the same for many other devices that you want to connect to the Wi-Fi network.
1. Turn on Wi-Fi on Your Smartphone and Search Networks
Well, this is a no-brainer. The first thing you have to do is to turn on the Wi-Fi functionality on your smartphones. Most smartphones turn off Wi-Fi automatically if it’s not connected to any network for a certain amount of time and for battery-saving purposes as well. So, the first step is to turn on the Wi-Fi option, which is present in wireless settings in most Android and iOS devices. Once you turn on the Wi-Fi, it’s going to show you a list of networks in that menu, which brings us to our next step.
2. Identify the Network Name
Once the Wi-Fi is switched on, your smartphone will show several networks and their signal strength. The next step is to identify your network name and connect to it. Most people enter the right password but are unable to connect to the network because they’ve selected the wrong access point. Whenever you set up a new internet or Wi-Fi network, its name is the default one, which is mentioned on the router. You can check the network name from the back of the router and connect to the right network. Once you connect, you can even change the network name, so you can easily recognize it later on. However, most smartphones have the capability to automatically connect to known networks once the Wi-Fi is turned on.
3. Enter the Password and Test the Connection
Once you’ve identified your connection name, enter the password, which your service provider has given you, or if it’s new equipment, use the default password. The default password can also be found on the back or bottom of your router below the network name. Once you enter the password and are connected to the system, run a speed test or open something on the browser. This would check if you are actually connected to the internet or not. Keep in mind that Wi-Fi is a totally different thing from your internet connection. It uses separate equipment that converts the internet signals into wireless form. Most of the time, you’re getting proper Wi-Fi signals but there is no internet. This happens because Wi-Fi is working but there is no internet from the backend.
Conclusion
Connecting Wi-Fi is a simple and mostly one-time process because your smartphone keeps a record of known networks and automatically connects to them once they are in reach. However, you might have to repeat this process if the password or the name of the Wi-Fi network is changed or if the device is reset. Another tip is to always change the default password to a strong one in order to keep your network secure from threats and also never remove the password from your home Wi-Fi network.
