What Is WiFi?

What does WiFi stand for?

WiFi - wireless fidelity refers to the wireless networks which use the 802.11 standard developed by the IEEE. WiFi or Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. WiFi Alliance tests equipment of various WiFi vendors and issues a certification. If wireless product is WiFi certified there is an assurance it acts according to the 802.11 standards.

There is also widely used name for WiFi network and this is WLAN. WLAN - Wireless Local Area Network, or Wireless LAN is local network based on WiFi technology. So now when you know what is WiFi, lets find out how WiFi works.

More about the WLAN and what does WLAN stand for check here.
WLAN uses different IEEE standards for data transfer:
- 802.11a
- 802.11b
- 802.11g
- 802.11n

IEEE 802.11i is standard for wireless security.

When we talk about the wireless network, I need to mention WiMAX or IEEE 802.16.

How does WiFi work?

As I have already mentioned here, WiFi uses the WLAN standard for a connection between the wireless access points or broadband wireless routers and wireless clients or computers with Wireless internet card.
WLAN uses nine WLAN network services for transfer of packets and management operations.
The WiFi technology uses WLAN formation and WLAN infrastructure.

Functionalities like WLAN Extended Service Set (ESS) and WLAN roaming make WiFi very flexible.

To get the whole picture of WiFi check:
- WLAN advantages and disadvantages
- Wireless Internet services
- When to use WLAN
- Wireless Printers.

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