What’s the difference between broadband and wifi? Internet 101

You’ve likely heard the terms internet, broadband and wifi, but have you given much thought as to what they mean?

Perhaps you’re wondering what is the difference between broadband and wifi? Or possibly you think they’re the same thing and the “internet” is a blanket term for it all.

Well, prepare to have your mind blown! (Spoiler, they’re not the same thing!)

What is the internet?

The internet is best described as a huge global network of computers that communicate with each other.
But how does it work?

The internet routes your data in ‘packets’ from one computer (the source) to the destination computer (the receiver). Here’s a simple analogy: Imagine you’re sending a letter the old fashioned way. You (the source) pop your envelope in the post box and wait for it to make the journey to its intended destination (the receiver).

That’s pretty much how the internet works between devices when we want to send or receive information too – just on a much quicker and far greater scale.  Instead of using a post box, we send information from one computer to another via the internet. And instead of the long wait for snail mail, internet information is usually sent and received within a couple of seconds. Simples.

What is broadband?

If the internet is a huge global network of computers all communicating with each other, then broadband is the way we reach this network and get connected to the online world.

Broadband is referred to as a wired connection, which means the system has to be physically connected in order for it to function.
The role of a broadband connection is to provide an individual path for your data to travel across the network. This ‘path’ is how you connect online and complete tasks using the internet, like sending emails and files from one device to another, browsing the web, streaming films, and online gaming.

What are the different types of broadband technology?

Along with Fixed Wireless Broadband, there are two types of technology which can make a broadband connection – copper wire or fibre optic cable.

Copper wire connections are a historical broadband technology, which use electrical signals to transmit data through metal wires. (These are the same copper wires as your telephone lines). As this technology is dated, the broadband provides an average speed connection.

Fibre optic cables are used to deliver a high-speed broadband connection. These cables are made up of lots of tiny, reflective fibre optic tubes. Flashes of light are then pulsed through the cable, bouncing through the reflective tubes inside to push your data across the network. So with fibre, your data literally travels at the speed of light!

How does wifi work?

Wifi technology uses radio waves to send and receive information from device to device. Wifi allows multiple devices to connect to the internet freely without any physical cables, so it’s easy for computers, mobile devices and gaming systems to connect to the internet at the same time. But there can be downfalls with using wifi too. Let’s take a look.

Broadband vs wifi: which is better?

In simple terms, you can’t have wifi without a broadband connection – so it’s not so much a case of which is better, but rather that there are some points to bear in mind when it comes to the two…

Accessibility

In order to access your broadband connection, you have to plug the ethernet cable into your device. This means you’re limited to how many devices can access the internet through your broadband connection alone. Luckily, this is where wifi comes in to save the day.

Wifi of course needs the broadband connection to work, but once it is connected, you can link multiple devices wirelessly to the internet at the same time through your wifi system (it’s almost as if it’s magic!)

Reliability

When accessing the internet, you may find your connection is more secure when you plug your broadband connection directly into your device rather than using wifi. This is because your data is routed directly through a physical cable, rather than wifi which relies on sending the signal over radio waves. (That means there’s greater chance for interference!)

It’s a huge perk for wifi that you can connect multiple devices wirelessly, but just bear in mind the more devices that are, the more chance it can slow you down and make the connection unreliable.

Broadband speed vs wifi speed

Remember, your wifi speeds can only ever be as good as your broadband connection, so the better the broadband connection, the greater the speeds!

A standard copper broadband connection relies on sharing the service with other users, which means speeds can drop – especially at peak times when there’s more traffic slowing you down!

This is where the new fibre optic technology comes into play to keep your speeds rising sky high. Full fibre broadband (also known as fibre to the premises or FTTP) is the quickest and most reliable connection you can have. Fibre optic cables are installed directly into the property, which allows you to boost your broadband and wifi speeds immensely with less interference too!

Need more broadband advice?

If you’re looking for an extra helping hand with your connections, check out our helpful broadband guides below:

• How much broadband do I need?
• Do you need a phone to get broadband?
• How to switch broadband providers
• What is fibre broadband?

Did you know Airband offers full fibre broadband packages with speeds of 150Mbps and beyond? Head over to our broadband coverage checker to see if you’re in range for an ultrafast connection with Airband.