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If you think Wi-Fi sounds cool, but you're not sure what all the acronyms mean yet - or what it all means to you – this is a great place to start.

Definition of Terms and Acronyms           Benefits of Wi-Fi

Definition of Terms and Acronyms

Access Point Gizmo Project Hotspot HTTPS IEEE IEEE 802.11 ISP Municipal Wi-Fi Network Roaming

Service (Wi-Fi Service, Internet Service) Skype Smart Phones SSID VOIP Wi-Fi WiMax/802.16 WLAN

Access Point

An access point is the communication hub for the devices on a WLAN, providing a connection or bridge between wireless and wired network devices.
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Gizmo Project

Gizmo Project uses a VoIP application that enables you to make free calls over the Internet. You can call from computer to computer for free, or from a VoIP device to landlines and cell phones for free.
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Hotspot

A hotspot is a location (such as a coffee shop, hotel or airport) where you can wirelessly connect to the Internet on the go. Many of these hotspots will only give you access after you submit a web form identifying yourself or agreeing to their terms of use.
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HTTPS

The Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) is the secure version of HTTP, the communication protocol of the World Wide Web. HTTPS is built into the browser. If you are using HTTPS you will notice a closed lock icon at the bottom corner of your browser page. All data sent via HTTPS is encrypted, thus ensuring secure transactions take place.
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IEEE

The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) is an international standards body that develops and establishes industry standards for a broad range of technologies, including the 802 family of networking and wireless standards. (See 802, 802.1x, 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11e, 802.11f, 802.11g, and 802.11i.). For more information about IEEE task groups and standards, see http://standards.ieee.org/.
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IEEE 802.11

IEEE 802.11 (IEEE Std. 802.11-1999) is a medium access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) specification for wireless connectivity for fixed, portable, and moving stations within a local area. It uses direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) in the 2.4 GHz ISM band and supports raw data rates of 1 and 2 Mbps. It was formally adopted in 1997 but has been mostly superseded by 802.11b.

IEEE 802.11 is also used generically to refer to the family of IEEE standards for wireless local area networks.
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ISP

An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company that provides Internet Access to individuals and companies. It may provide related services such as virtual hosting, network consulting, Web design, etc.
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Municipal Wi-Fi Network

Also called a Muni Network, this is a wireless network owned by the local government. It typically provides many access points around the city and local area, enabling users to connect to the network for free.
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Roaming

Refers to the transfer of wireless connectivity from one access point to another without the loss of connectivity. For example, when you are using your device on a Muni network and then you move to a free hotspot in local coffee shop, you are roaming networks.
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Service (Wi-Fi Service, Internet Service)

Service refers to the network provision that enables you to use the internet or Wi-Fi service. A Service Provider is an operator that owns the particular network you are connected to. For example; T-Mobile, AT&T Wireless, Google Wi-Fi, etc.
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Skype

Skype is a program that allows you to make VoIP calls for free. You can call from one computer anywhere in the world to another for free, or you can buy special VoIP phones to make very inexpensive calls to landlines and cell phones.
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Smart Phones

A handheld device that combines the functionality of a PDA with that of a cell phone.
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SSID

The Service Set Identifier (SSID) is a thirty-two character alphanumeric key that uniquely identifies a wireless local area network. It is also referred to as the Network Name. There are no restrictions on the characters that may be used in an SSID.
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VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology used to transmit voice information in digital packets over the Internet rather than the public telephone network.
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Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi® is wireless networking. This name was created to describe the most popular and useful features of the IEEE 802.11 standard for computer data networks that use low-power radio to exchange information. You can think of it as somewhat like a mobile phone for your devices.

Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
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WiMax/802.16

WiMax (WorldWide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a certification stamp set for the family of IEEE 802.16 standards. The 802.16 standard addresses the issue of radio spectrum and interoperability.
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WLAN

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is a network that uses high-frequency radio waves rather than wires to communicate over a distance.
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Benefits of Wi-Fi

• Lower cost devices, lower cost services. The costs of building Wi-Fi networks are significantly less than deploying LAN’s or expanding cellular networks. Additionally, the price of Wi-Fi silicon continues to come down. Both of these translate into more devices and services and lower costs to consumers.
• Expanding numbers of enabled devices and applications. Today, laptops, VoIP handsets, portable game players, web tablets, PDAs, digital cameras and media players all utilize Wi-Fi technologies.
• Wi-Fi products are widely available in the market and Wi-Fi certified products are all interoperable regardless of the manufacturers. Any product that is certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance works on any Wi-Fi network.
• Wi-Fi networks support roaming, in which a mobile device (like a laptop or a VoIP handset) can move from one access point to another as the user moves around a building or area.
• Wi-Fi is a global set of standards. Unlike cellular carriers, the same Wi-Fi client works in different countries around the world.
• Wi-Fi networks are widely available in more than 250,000 public hot spots and millions of homes and corporate and university campuses worldwide.
• Increased security. According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, as of 2006, WPA and WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption are not easily crackable if strong passwords are used.
• New protocols for Quality of Service (WMM) and power saving mechanisms (WMM Power Save) make Wi-Fi even more suitable for latency-sensitive applications (such as voice and video) and small form-factor devices.

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