Difference between revisions of "WiFi"

Latest revision as of 05:37, 7 August 2010

Wireless Fidelity: WiFi may be considered an acronym specifically for (Wi)reless (Fi)delity (IEEE 802.11b wireless networking). However, WiFi is more of a catch phrase than a real acronym since it has come to refer to an umbrella of wireless networking technologies. WiFi is the name commonly given to wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to provide wireless high-speed Internet and network connections.

According to author Cory Doctorow WiFi isn't short for "Wireless Fidelity", it doesn't mean anything.

The term Wi-Fi is in fact a registered trademark owned by Wi-Fi Alliance. The Wi-Fi Alliance organisation specifically defines Wi-Fi as any "wireless local area network (WLAN) products that are based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 standards." A pioneer of the Wi-Fi Alliance is quoted as saying "Wi-Fi doesn't stand for anything. It is not an acronym. There is no meaning."

According to some the term WiFi comes from a play on the older term HiFi. Alternatives to the spelling of WiFi include Wi-Fi, or in lower case Wifi and wi-fi. A WiFi connection may be between two or more computers and can involve equipment such as the Wireless Access Point, Wireless Router, Wireless Access Cards, or other Wireless Radios, but does not generally include other types of packet radios.

There are many WiFi embedded devices on the market today. They include the personal computer, video game consoles, mobile phones, MP3 players or the personal digital assistant. WiFi can be used to established private network links, public access hotspots, or as part of a paid subscription service such as a way to provide Internet Service to a location.