Make Wi-Fi Visible #4 – Radio Frequency Diffraction
As we all know, Wi-Fi is amazing. The only thing is… it’s invisible.
So let’s start by explaining what makes Wi-Fi invisible? Wi-Fi uses radio frequencies electromagnetic waves to transfer information. These waves have wavelengths that are not within the visible space.
Light is also an electromagnetic wave. However, its wavelength is within the visible spectrum (between 330 nm and 700 nm). This is what make the light visible to the human eye. In fact, any electromagntic radiation having a wavelength between 330 nm and 700 nm is called “light” or to be precise “visible light”.
EPISODE #4 - RADIO FREQUENCY DIFFRACTION
Diffraction, in combination with reflexion, allows Wi-Fi to go around objects in a typical indoor environment avoiding it from being totally blocked. This could be very good advantage if you think about it. However, everything has a cost. A diffracted wave is indeed losing power. This is an important fact to keep in mind! Another important fact to know about diffraction: the higher the frequency, the higher the loss. In Wi-Fi deployments, diffraction will, therefore, generate more loss on 5GHz transmissions than 2.4GHz transmissions.