Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is an essential wireless Internet access technology. Wi-Fi is a popular name for networks based on the IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN (local area network) standard, which was initially published in 1997 and is maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee. Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance, which is a worldwide nonprofit network of companies that was established in 1999 to coordinate the development of Wi-Fi-based products through a rigorous interoperability certification program.

Wi-Fi’s popularity and commercial success can be attributed to two factors. First, the industry has succeeded in creating an interoperable product offering based on technology that provides a high-performance data service useful for a broad range of network types and applications. Second, the regulatory policy of Wi-Fi, which uses an unlicensed, ...