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Wi-Fi, or Wireless Fidelity, is a term used to describe products that follow the 802.11 standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). However, today Wi-Fi is used more broadly to refer to wireless local area networks (WLANs). Wi-Fi products based on the 802.11 standard are primarily used to transfer data using radio frequencies (RF) in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, thus eliminating the need for wires or cables. Wireless technology allows people to connect to the Internet and share data from any location, both inside or out, as long as they are within range of a base station.
Wi-Fi includes technologies that adhere to the 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g standards. Products and technologies that operate at 2.4 GHz band, also known as 802.11b, can transfer data at 11 megabits per second. The 5 GHz band, also known as 802.11a, can transfers data up to 54 Mbps. Additionally, the new 802.11g standard is compatible with 802.11b and operates in the same 2.4 GHz band, but can transfer up to 54 Mbps like 802.11a.
Products displaying the Wi-Fi logo have been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance as interoperable with a wide variety of other manufacturer's Wi-Fi certified products http://www.weca.net. Wi-Fi has become the commonly accepted global standard for wireless LANs.
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