Wireless networks use radio waves to transmit data between devices wirelessly. A computer's wireless adapter translates data into a radio signal and transmits it via antenna to a wireless router. The router receives the signal, decodes it, and sends the information to the Internet using a wired Ethernet connection. The process is reversed to send data from the Internet to the computer. Wi-Fi allows devices to communicate wirelessly based on the 802.11 networking standard and is the most common means of wireless communication within a fixed location.