WiFi vs NBN vs Internet … what’s the difference?

WiFi, NBN, Internet … isn’t that all the same?

If I had a dollar for every time I got asked this question then I’d be writing this blog entry from my private yacht moored in the tax haven of Monaco … but I don’t.

Here’s how it works …

WiFi is the radio signal(s) within your house that allows your devices (phones, tablets, TVs, etc.) to talk to your modem/router.

NBN is the network that connects your home’s modem/router to the greater Internet.

The Internet is a collection of networks that become the path(s) used to get your devices to the services.  Services like Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, your electronic banking, etc. are accessed via the Internet.

So what would be a good analogy for all of this?  There are probably millions of good analogies but this is the one I came up with … the road transport system.

WiFi … The hallway in your house that gets you to the car in your garage.

NBN … Your driveway that gets you and your car to the road.

Internet … The road system that gets you and your car to the services you want to access, like your local supermarket.

And then the process is basically reversed once you get to your service/destination.

That’s it in a nutshell.  Simple really, once you know how.

The Internet is a very complex, highly redundant system that is surprisingly simple to use.  Did you know that the Internet was originally a network developed by the US Department of Defense specifically to withstand a nuclear attack … do you miss the Cold War too?

The main problem most people have with their home Internet access is either with their modem/router or with a poor NBN connection.  

Yes FTTN/VDSL2, I’m looking at you!