Wi-Fi (or Wi-fi, WiFi, Wifi, wifi), short for "Wireless Fidelity", is a set of product compatibility standards for wireless local area networks (WLAN). The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols that implement the protocol stack on which the Internet runs. ... The application layer is the seventh level of the seven-layer OSI model. ... The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a software standard for transferring computer files between machines with widely different operating systems. ... HTTP (for HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the primary method used to convey information on the World Wide Web. ... HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP, the communication protocol of the World Wide Web. ... The Internet Message Access Protocol (commonly known as IMAP, and previously called Interactive Mail Access Protocol) is an application layer Internet protocol used for accessing email on a remote server from a local client. ... Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a form of instant communication over the Internet. ... The Network News Transfer Protocol or NNTP is an Internet application protocol used primarily for reading and posting Usenet articles, as well as transferring news among servers. ... Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3) is an application layer Internet standard protocol used to retrieve email from a remote server to a local client over a TCP/IP connection. ... Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a protocol developed by the IETF MMUSIC Working Group and proposed standard for initiating, modifying, and terminating an interactive user session that involves multimedia elements such as video, voice, instant messaging, online games, and virtual reality. ... Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is the de facto standard for email transmission across the Internet. ... The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) forms part of the internet protocol suite as defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force. ... In computing, Secure shell or SSH is both a computer program and an associated network protocol designed for logging into and executing commands on a networked computer. ... Telnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area network LAN connections. ... BitTorrent is the protocol and the name of the peer-to-peer (P2P) file distribution tool written by programmer Bram Cohen and debuted at CodeCon 2002. ... The Datagram Congestion Control Protocol (DCCP) is a message-oriented transport layer protocol that is currently under development in the IETF. Applications that might make use of DCCP include those with timing constraints on the delivery of data such that reliable in-order delivery, when combined with congestion control, is... The Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) is a transport layer protocol defined in 2000 by the IETF Signaling Transport (SIGTRAN) working group. ... The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is one of the core protocols of the Internet protocol suite. ... The Real-time Transport Protocol (or RTP) defines a standardized packet format for delivering audio and video over the Internet. ... Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Token ring, FDDI, PPP RS-232, EIA-422, RS-449, EIA-485, 10BASE2, 10BASE-T... The User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is one of the core protocols of the Internet protocol suite. ... Internet Light is a transport layer communication protocol designed at Bell Labs for the 9P protocol in Plan 9. ... The Reliable User Datagram Protocol (RUDP) is a transport layer protocol designed at Bell Labs for the Plan 9 operating system. ... The network layer is level three of the seven level OSI model. ... IPv4 is version 4 of the Internet Protocol (IP). ... IPv6, or Internet Protocol version 6, is a network layer standard; i. ... The data link layer is level two of the seven-level OSI model. ... Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Token ring, FDDI, PPP RS-232, EIA-422, RS-449, EIA-485, 10BASE2, 10BASE-T... Ethernet (this name comes from the physical concept of ether) is a frame based computer networking technology for local area networks (LANs). ... Token-Ring local area network (LAN) technology, developed and promoted by IBM in the early 1980s and standardised as IEEE 802. ... In computer networking, fiber-distributed data interface (FDDI) is a standard for data transmission in a local area network that can extend in range up to 200 km (124 miles). ... In computing, the Point-to-Point Protocol, or PPP, is commonly used to establish a direct connection between two nodes. ... The physical layer is level one in the seven level OSI model of computer networking. ... RS-232 (also referred to as EIA RS-232C or V.24) is a standard for serial binary data interchange between a DTE (Data terminal equipment) and a DCE (Data communication equipment). ... EIA-422 (formerly RS-422) is a serial data communication protocol which specifies 4 wire, full-duplex, differential line, multi-drop communications. ... RS-449 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... EIA-485 (formerly RS-485 or RS485) is an OSI Model Physical layer electrical specification of a two-wire, half-duplex, multipoint serial connection. ... 10BASE2 cable showing BNC Connector end. ... FUCK！ ... For the financial services company, see Fidelity Investments. ... Wireless was an old-fashioned term for a radio receiver, referring to its use as a wireless telegraph. ... A local area network (LAN) is a computer network covering a local area, like a home, office or small group of buildings such as a college. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Wi-Fi was intended to be used for mobile devices and LANs, but is now often used for Internet and wireless VoIP phone access. It enables a person with a wireless-enabled computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a wireless VoIP phone to connect to the Internet when in proximity of an access point. The geographical region covered by one or several access points is called a hotspot. Lan can stand for several things: A local area network Lan (airline) formerly LanChile Lan Peru Lan Mandragoran, a fictional character in the Wheel of Time series. ... IP Telephony, also called Internet telephony, is the technology that makes it possible to have a telephone conversation over the Internet or a dedicated Internet Protocol (IP) network instead of dedicated voice transmission lines. ... Palm IIIxe PDA Personal digital assistants (PDAs or palmtops) are handheld devices that were originally designed as personal organizers, but became much more versatile over the years. ... A wireless access point (WAP or AP) is a device that connects wireless communication devices together to create a wireless network. ... A hotspot is a Wi-Fi access point or area, in particular for connecting to Internet. ...

Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance (formerly the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance), the trade organization that tests and certifies equipment compliance with the 802.11x standards. In wireless computer networking, Wi-Fi refers to a family of interacting specifications (the IEEE 802. ...

Certified products can use the official Wi-Fi logo, which indicates that the product is interoperable with any other product also showing the logo. Not GFDL. Corporate logo of the Wi-Fi Alliance. ... Interoperability can be defined in a technical way or in a broad way, taking into account social, political and organizational factors. ...

Specifications

Wi-Fi is based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications. There are currently four deployed 802.11 variations: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n. IEEE 802. ...

The b standard permits up to 11Megabits/second, while both a and g allow up to 54Mbs. The new n specification will allow even higher speeds (up to 100Mbs and beyond). The 802.11a standard works in the 5GHz frequency band, and the others work in the 2.4GHz band. In fact, n is a superset of g, and g is a superset of b, so there is some interoperability among them. In most of the world, these frequencies do not require user licenses from local regulators (eg, the Federal Communications Commission in the US).

The most widespread version of Wi-Fi in the US market today (based in IEEE 802.11b/g) operates in the 2,400 MHz to 2,483.50 MHz. It allows to operate in 11 channels (5 MHz each), as follows: IEEE 802. ...

Channel 1 - 2,412 MHz; Channel 2 - 2,417 MHz; Channel 3 - 2,422 MHz; Channel 4 - 2,427 MHz; Channel 5 - 2,432 MHz; Channel 6 - 2,437 MHz; Channel 7 - 2,442 MHz; Channel 8 - 2,447 MHz; Channel 9 - 2,452 MHz; Channel 10 - 2,457 MHz; Channel 11 - 2,462 MHz

In Europe, Frnce and Spain have adopted their own allowed channels set, and Japan has also done so. In all areas, the maximum radio transmitter power and the maximum effective radiated power (essentially the power output at the antenna) are strictly limited. In the US, maximum transmitter power is 1 watt, and maximum effective radiated power is 4 watts; in Europe these limits are somewhat lower. An antenna which concentrates 1 watt of transmitter energy into 1/4 of an 'omnidirectional' sphere will achieve 4 watts of effective power. Most WiFi equipment (eg, PCMCIA or Cardbus cards for laptops, PCI cards for desktop equivalent computers, or standalone units often with other functions included) has transmitter power levels of between 15mw and perhaps 200mw, so antennas with some gain are permissible.

New standards beyond the 802.11 specifications, such as 802.16(WiMAX, with ranges of several miles and data rates of 70Mbs or so), are currently in the works and offer many enhancements, anywhere from longer range to greater transfer speeds. 802.16a permits operation between 2 and 11 GHz, so there may eventually be some interoperability between 802.11 units and some 802.16a units. IEEE 802. ... IEEE 802. ...

Wi-Fi vs. cellular

Some argue that Wi-Fi and related consumer technologies will replace cellular telephone networks such as 3G and GSM. The current generation of Wi-Fi is still lacking roaming and authentication features (see 802.1x, SIM cards and RADIUS) and the limited range of Wi-Fi as well as the narrowness of the available spectrum are holding back its proliferation as 3G replacement. Cellular redirects here. ... 3G (or 3-G) is short for third-generation mobile telephone technology. ... GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. ... Roaming is a general term in wireless telecommunications that refers to the extending of connectivity service in a network that is different than the network with which a station is registered. ... In computer security, authentication (Greek: αυθεντικός, from authentes=author) is the process by which a computer, computer program, or another user attempts to confirm that the computer, computer program, or user from whom the second party has received some communication is, or is not, the claimed first party. ... IEEE 802. ... The word Sim can refer to the following topics: Sim (Pencil Game), a pencil game an abbreviation of the word simulation The Sims, a household simulation computer game by Maxis Dave Sim, author of the comic book Cerebus Sim Wong Hoo, founder of the world-leading entertainment manufacturing company, Creative... In classical geometry, a radius of a circle or sphere is any line segment with one endpoint on the circle (i. ... The FCCs official seal. ... 3G (or 3-G) is short for third-generation mobile telephone technology. ...

However, the bandwith and overall capabilities of Wi-Fi are already exceeding those once promised by 3G cellular telephone standards which lead to the use of the term 4G being used for Wi-Fi. 3G (or 3-G) is short for third-generation mobile telephone technology. ... This article describes the wireless access technology 4G. For the 4G IATA code see Shenzhen Airlines 4G (or 4-G) is short for fourth-generation the successor of 3G and is a wireless access technology. ...

Companies like Zyxel, SocketIP and Symbol Technologies are already offering telephony platforms (Central Office replacements and terminals (phones)) that use Wi-Fi VoIP. Symbol Technologies is an AIDC company based in Holtsville, New York USA. It has self defined itself as The Enterprise Mobility Company. RFID capability derived from buying a company called Matrics. ... central office = Exchange building in the U.S. telephone exchange = Exchange building in the UK, and is also the UK name for a telephone switch, and also has a technical meaning in U.S. telecoms telephone switch is the U.S. term, but is in increasing use in technical UK... For other uses of the word terminal, see the disambiguation page. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... IP Telephony, also called Internet telephony, is the technology that makes it possible to have a telephone conversation over the Internet or a dedicated Internet Protocol (IP) network instead of dedicated voice transmission lines. ...

Many vendors are now selling mobile Internet products that link Wi-Fi and cellular radio system in a more or less transparent way to take advantage of the benefits of both systems. Future wireless systems are expected to routinely switch between a variety of radio systems.

The main difference between cellular and Wi-Fi is that the cellular system uses the licensed spectrum, and Wi-Fi is implemented in unlicensed bands. The economic basis for its implementation is therefore completely different. The success of Wi-Fi has made many people look to the unlicensed spectrum as the future of wireless access, rather than the spectrum licensed and controlled by large corporations. Open spectrum (also known as free spectrum) is a movement to get the government to provide more unlicensed spectrum, radio frequency spectrum that is available for use by all. ...

Commercial Wi-Fi

Commercial Wi-Fi services are available in places such as Internet cafes, coffee houses and airports around the world (commonly called Wi-Fi-cafés), although coverage is still patchy: An Internet café or cybercafé is a place where one can use a computer with Internet access for a fee, usually per hour or minute; sometimes one can have unmetered access with a pass for a day or month, etc. ...

• WiSE Technologies provides commercial hotspots for airports, universities, and independent cafes in the US;
• T-Mobile provides Wi-Fi service in over 6000 HotSpot locations which includes many Starbucks, Borders, Fed-Ex/Kinkos, Airline Clubs, Airports and Hotels in the U.S and UK;[1]
• Pacific Century Cyber Works provides hotspots in Pacific Coffee shops in Hong Kong;
• a Columbia Rural Electric Association subsidiary offers 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi service across a 3,700 mi² (9,500 km²) region within Walla Walla and Columbia counties in Washington and Umatilla County, Oregon;
• Other large hotspot providers in the U.S. include Boingo, Wayport and iPass;
• Wayport provides access to an ever-increasing number of Wireless McDonald'slocations;
• Sify, an Indian internet service provider, has set up 120 wireless access points in Bangalore, India in hotels, malls and government offices.
• Vex offers a big network of hotspots spread over Brazil. Telefónica Speedy WiFi has started its services in a new and growing network distributed over the state of São Paulo.
• Link repository on Wi-Fi topics at AirHive Net
• Airborne Access provides commercial hotspots for a lot of areas in the Philippines and other cities and countries around the world.
• Eircom provide hotspots in hotels and public spaces throughout Ireland.

T-Mobile logo T-Mobile is a multinational mobile phone operator. ... For other meanings of the name Starbuck, see Starbuck. ... PCCW Limited (PCCW, 電訊盈科) (NYSE: PCW) is the largest telecommunication enterprise in Hong Kong. ... Walla Walla County is a county located in the state of Washington. ... State nickname: The Evergreen State Other U.S. States Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Governor Christine Gregoire (D) Official languages None Area 184,824 km² (18th)  - Land 172,587 km²  - Water 12,237 km² (6. ... Umatilla County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... Founded in 1994, Wayport, Inc. ... Founded in 1994, Wayport, Inc. ... An Internet service provider (ISP) is a business or organization that offers users access to the Internet and related services. ... Bangalore (ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು in Kannada) is the capital and largest city of the state of Karnataka in India. ... Telefónica S.A. (NYSE: TEF) (TYO: 9481) is the former national telephone network operator (telco) in Spain. ... eircom Group plc is the largest telecommunications operator in the Republic of Ireland. ...

Free Wi-Fi

While commercial services attempt to move existing business models to Wi-Fi, many groups, communities, cities, and individuals have already set up free Wi-Fi networks, often adopting a common peering agreement in order that networks can openly share with each other. Free wireless mesh networks are often considered the future of the internet. Wireless mesh networking is mesh networking implemented over a Wireless LAN. Networking infrastructure is therefore decentralised and inexpensive, as each node need only transmit as far as the next node. ...

Many municipalities have joined with local community groups to help expand free Wi-Fi networks. Some community groups have built their Wi-Fi networks entirely based on volunteer efforts and donations. Philadelphis is one of the largest cities to have embarked on a city owned and operated WiFi network for public use.

For more information, see wireless community network, where there is also a list of the free Wi-Fi networks one can find around the globe. Wireless community networks or wireless community projects are the largely hobbyist-led development of interlinked computer networks using wireless LAN technologies, taking advantage of the recent development of cheap, standardised 802. ...

OLSR is one of the protocols used to set up free networks. Some networks use static routing; other, such as Wireless Leiden rely completely on OSPF. Most networks rely heavily on open source software, or even publish their setup under an open source license. The Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR) is a protocol for mobile ad-hoc networks. ... Wireless Leiden is a wireless community network in Leiden, Netherlands. ... Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a link_state, hierarchical Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing algorithm. ...

Some smaller countries and municipalities already provide free Wi-Fi hotspots and free residential Wi-Fi internet access to everyone. Examples include the Kingdom of Tonga or Estonia which have already a large number of free Wi-Fi hotspots throughout their countries.

Many universities provide free WiFi internet access to their students, visitors, and anyone on campus. Similarly, some commercial entities such as Panera Bread offer free Wi-Fi access to patrons. Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA) (formally known as St. ...

However, there is also a third subcategory of networks set up by certain communities such as universities where the service is provided free to members and guests of the community such as students, yet used to make money by letting the service out to companies and individuals outside. An example of such a service is Sparknet in Finland. Sparknet also supports OpenSparknet, a project where people can name their own wireless access point as a part of Sparknet in return for certain benefits.

Recently commercial Wi-Fi providers have built free Wi-Fi hotspots and hotzones. These providers hope that free Wi-Fi access would equate to more users and significant return on investment. One such example is AnchorFree Wireless in Sunnyvale, CA. AnchorFree provides free Wi-Fi access in Silicon Valley and San Francisco. In February of 2005 FreeFi launched a nationwide network of free, advertising-sponsored hotspots.

Advantages of Wi-Fi

• Unlike packet radio systems, Wi-Fi uses unlicensed radio spectrum and does not require regulatory approval for individual deployers.
• Allows LANs to be deployed without cabling, potentially reducing the costs of network deployment and expansion. Spaces where cables cannot be run, such as outdoor areas and historical buildings, can host wireless LANs.
• Wi-Fi products are widely available in the market. Different brands of access points and client network interfaces are interoperable at a basic level of service.
• Competition amongst vendors has lowered prices considerably since their inception.
• Many Wi-Fi networks support roaming, in which a mobile client station such as a laptop computer can move from one access point to another as the user moves around a building or area.
• Many access points and network interfaces support various degrees of encryption to protect traffic from interception.
• Wi-Fi is a global set of standards. Unlike cellular carriers, the same Wi-Fi client works in different countries around the world.

Packet radio is a form of digital data transmission used in amateur radio to construct wireless computer networks. ...

Disadvantages of Wi-Fi

• Use of the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band does not require a license in most of the world provided that one stays below the local regulatory limits and provided one accepts interference from other sources, including interference which causes your devices to no longer function. It is sometimes claimed that Amateur Radio operators have permission to boost the power on their WiFi transmitters up to the legal maximum for their Amateur Radio license class under some conditions; this is not permitted in the US, nor in most locations.
• Legislation/regulation is not consistent worldwide; most of Europe allows for an additional 2 channels over those allowed for b and g; Japan has one more on top of that - and some countries, like Spain, prohibit use of the lower-numbered channels. Furthermore some countries, such as Italy, used to require a 'general authorization' for any WiFi used outside the owned premises; or required something akin to operator registration. For Europe; consult http://www.ero.dk for an annual report on the additional restriction each European country imposes.
• The 802.11b and 802.11g flavors of Wi-Fi use the 2.4 GHz spectrum, which is crowded with other equipment such as Bluetooth devices, microwave ovens, cordless phones (900 MHz or 5.8 GHz are, therefore, alternative phone frequencies one can use to avoid interference if one has a Wi-Fi network), or video sender devices, among many others. This may cause a degradation in performance. Other devices which use these microwave frequencies can also cause degradation in performance.
• Power consumption is fairly high compared to other standards, making battery life and heat a concern.
• The most common wireless encryption standard, Wired Equivalent Privacy or WEP, has been shown to be easily breakable even when correctly configured. Although newer wireless products are slowly providing support for the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) protocol, many older access points will have to be replaced to support it. The adoption of the 802.11i (aka WPA2) standard in June 2004 makes available a rather better security scheme for future use — when properly configured. In the meantime, many enterprises have had to deploy additional layers of encryption (such as VPNs) to protect against interception.
• Wi-Fi networks have limited range. A typical Wi-Fi home router using 802.11b or 802.11g might have a range of 45 m (150 ft) indoors and 90 m (300 ft) outdoors. 802.11a equipment, using a higher frequency, has reduced range, all other things being equal.
• Interference of a closed or encrypted access point with other open access points on the same or a neighboring channel can prevent access to the open access points by others in the area. This can pose a problem in high-density areas such as large apartment buildings where many residents are operating Wi-Fi access points.
• WiFi equipment could be used to steal personal information (passwords, financial information, identity information, ...) transmitted from Wi-Fi users, if sensible protections are not used. WEP is not sensible protection for it is easily evaded. The 802.11i standard (partially implemented in some equipment as W(ireless)P(rotected)A(ccess) will be a substantial improvement if properly configured at both ends.
• Free access points (or improperly configured access points) may be used by a hacker to anonymously initiate an attack that would be impossible to track beyond the owner of the access point.

Mrs. ... IEEE 802. ... IEEE 802. ... This article is about the Bluetooth wireless specification. ... Microwave oven A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance employing microwave radiation primarily to cook or heat food. ... Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is part of the IEEE 802. ... Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a system to secure wireless (Wi-Fi) networks, created to patch the security of the previous system, WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy); researchers have found a number of weaknesses in WEP. As a successor, WPA implements the majority of the IEEE 802. ... IEEE 802. ... A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, is a private communications network usually used within a company, or by several different companies or organizations, communicating over a public network. ... IEEE 802. ... IEEE 802. ...

Wi-Fi and free software

• BSDs (FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD) have had support for most adapters since late 1998. Code for Atheros, Prism, Harris/Intersil and Aironet is mostly shared between the 3 BSDs. Darwin and Mac OS X, despite their overlap with FreeBSD, have their own unique implementation. In OpenBSD 3.7, there are more wireless chipsets available, including RealTek RTL8180L, Ralink RT25x0, Atmel AT76C50x, and Intel 2100/2200BG/2225BG/2915ABG, due at least in part to OpenBSD's effort to push for open source drivers for wireless chipsets. It is possible that such drivers be implemented by other BSDs if they do not already exist. The ndiswrapper is also available for FreeBSD.

• Linux: As of version 2.6, most Wi-Fi hardware is supported natively by the Linux kernel. Support for Orinoco, Prism, Aironet and Atmel are included in the main kernel tree, while ADMtek and Realtek RTL8180L are both supported by proprietary closed-source drivers provided by the manufacturer and open source drivers written by the community. Atheros and Ralink RT2x00 are supported through open source projects. Support for other more exotic wireless devices is available through use of the ndiswrapper driver, which allows Linux compiled for the Intel x86 architecture to "wrap" a Windows driver for direct use.

BSD redirects here; for other uses see BSD (disambiguation). ... A rendering of the BSD daemon. ... NetBSD was the first of the freely redistributable, open source versions of the BSD Unix-like operating systems to produce a formal release, with NetBSD 0. ... OpenBSD Logo with Puffy, the pufferfish. ... This article is about Linux-based operating systems, GNU/Linux, and related topics. ... The Linux mascot Tux created by Larry Ewing The Linux kernel is a free Unix-like operating system kernel that was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and subsequently improved with the assistance of developers around the world. ... Microsoft Windows is a range of operating environments for personal computers and servers. ...

Unintended and Intended use by outsiders

The default configuration of most Wi-Fi access points provides no protection from unauthorized use of the network. Many business and residential users do not intend to secure their access points by leaving them open to users in the area. It has become etiquette to leave access points open for others to use just as one can expect to find open access points while on the road. Most Wi-Fi community networks are based on free access and freely sharing bandwith.

Measures to deter unauthorized users include suppressing the AP's service set identifier (SSID) broadcast, only allowing computers with known MAC addresses to join the network, and various encryption standards. Older access points frequently do not support adequate security measures to protect against a determined attacker armed with a packet sniffer and the ability to switch MAC addresses. Harmless recreational exploration of other people's access points has become known as wardriving, and the leaving of graffiti describing available services as warchalking. In Wi-Fi Wireless LAN computer networking, a service set identifier (SSID) is a code attached to all packets on a wireless network to identify each packet as part of that network. ... In computer networking a media access control address (MAC address) is a unique identifier attached to most forms of networking equipment. ... In cryptography, encryption is the process of obscuring information to make it unreadable without special knowledge. ... Packet sniffers (also known as Network Analyzers or Ethernet Sniffers) are software programs that can see the traffic passing over a network or part of a network. ... War driving is often a surreptitious activity: this long-range wardriver leaves only his shadow. ... Graffiti on the banks of the Tiber river in Rome, Italy. ... Warchalking symbols (From left to right: Open Node, Closed Node and WEP node) Warchalking is the drawing of symbols in public places to advertise an open Wi-Fi wireless network. ...

It is also common for people to unintentionally use others' Wi-Fi networks without specific authorization. Operating systems such as Windows XP and Mac OS X automatically connect to any nearby wireless network, depending on the network configuration. A user who happens to start up a laptop in the vicinity of an access point may find the computer has joined a network without any visible indication. Moreover, a user intending to join one network may instead end up on another one if the latter's signal is stronger. In combination with automatic discovery of other network resources (see DHCP and Zeroconf) this could theoretically lead wireless users to send sensitive data to the wrong destination, as described by Chris Meadows in the February 2004 RISKS Digest. [2] As of 2005, Windows XP is the current desktop version of the Microsoft Windows operating system. ... Mac OS X is the latest version of the Mac OS, the operating system software for Macintosh computers. ... DHCP in the context of computing can stand for: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (To do with conputer networks) Decentralized Hospital Computer Program of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Categories: Disambiguation ... Zeroconf or Zero Configuration Networking or in Microsoft language Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) is a set of techniques that automatically create a usable IP network without configuration or special servers. ... 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → // February 29, 2004 Jean-Bertrand Aristide resigns as president of Haiti and flees the country for the Central African Republic. ... The RISKS Digest or Forum On Risks to the Public in Computers and Related Systems is an online periodical published since 1985 by the Committee on Computers and Public Policy of the Association for Computing Machinery. ...

See also

• OSGi Alliance
• WiMAX
• Liquid crystal display television with integrated WiFi port
• Wikibooks: Building a Wifi antenna
• Wireless mesh network
• Wireless LAN
• Wardriving

The OSGi Alliance is an open standards organization formed by Sun Microsystems, IBM, Ericsson and others in March 1999 (after it was first called the Connected Alliance). ... WiMAX, an acronym that stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a certification mark for products that pass conformity and interoperability tests for the IEEE 802. ... Liquid crystal display television (LCD TV) is, as indicated by its name, a television using LCD technology (generally TFT), as opposed to cathode ray or plasma for its visual output. ... Wireless mesh networking is mesh networking implemented over a Wireless LAN. Networking infrastructure is therefore decentralised and inexpensive, as each node need only transmit as far as the next node. ... The notebook is connected to the wireless access point using a PCMCIA wireless card. ... War driving is often a surreptitious activity: this long-range wardriver leaves only his shadow. ...

External links

Wikibooks has more about this subject:

Wifi

• WiFi Tutorial Includes information on Architecture, Standards, Security and Comparisons
• JiWire The Largest Directory Of Public Hotspots Worldwide
• MetroFreefi The Largest Directory Of US free Wi-Fi Hotspots
• Auscillate.com Free WiFi Lists Community-compiled lists of free wifi sites in various large US cities.
• Wireless Libraries
• WiFiMaps.com Maps of Wi-Fi installations across the US submitted by users' findings
• FreeNetworks A volunteer association dedicated to education, collaboration, and advocacy for the creation of free WiFi networks
• LocustWorld WiFi mesh networking projects
• WEP Cracking, the FBI Way A brief guide in cracking WEP enabled networks as demonstrated by the FBI.
• WiGLE Worldwide database and mapping of wireless networks.
• Wifi-Forum Worldwide discussion forum on Wi-Fi technology
• Total Hotspots The Global Wi-Fi Hotspots Directory
• Digital Bits Technology Column How to secure a wireless network