what are the Internet
access?
A Wi-Fi-enabled device can connect to the Internet when within range of a wireless network which is configured to
permit this. The coverage of one or more (interconnected) access points—called
hotspots—can extend from an area as small as a few rooms to as large as many
square kilometers. Coverage in the larger area may require a group of access
points with overlapping coverage. Outdoor public Wi-Fi technology has been used
successfully in wireless mesh networks in London, UK.
Where was the WiFi provides service?
Wi-Fi provides service in private homes, businesses, as well as in public
spaces at Wi-Fi hotspots set up either free-of-charge or commercially, often
using a captive portal webpage for access. Organizations and businesses, such
as airports, hotels, and restaurants, often provide free-use hotspots to attract
customers. Enthusiasts or authorities who wish to provide services or even to
promote business in selected areas sometimes provide free Wi-Fi access.
Routers that incorporate a digital subscriber line modem or a cable modem
and a Wi-Fi access point, often set up in homes and other buildings, provide
Internet access and internetworking to all devices connected to them,
wirelessly or via cable.
Similarly, there are battery-powered routers that include a cellular mobile
Internet radio modem and Wi-Fi access point.
When subscribed to a cellular
phone carrier, they allow nearby Wi-Fi stations to access the Internet over 2G,
3G, or 4G networks. Many smart phones have a built-in capability of this sort,
including those based on Android, BlackBerry, Bada, iOS (iPhone), Windows Phone
and Symbian, though
carriers often disable the feature, or charge a separate
fee to enable it, especially for customers with unlimited data plans.
"Internet packs" provide standalone facilities of this type as well,
without use of a smart phone; examples include the MiFi- and Wipro-branded
devices. Some laptops that have a cellular modem card can also act as mobile
Internet Wi-Fi access points.
Wi-Fi also connects places that normally don't have network access, such as
kitchens and garden sheds.
Direct
computer-to-computer communications
Wi-Fi also allows communications directly from one computer to another
without an access point intermediary. This is called
ad hoc Wi-Fi
transmission. This wireless ad hoc network mode has proven popular with multiplayer
handheld game consoles, such as the Nintendo D
S, PlayStation Portable, digital
cameras, and other consumer electronic devices. Some devices can also share
their Internet connection using ad hoc, becoming hotspots or "virtual
routers".
Similarly, the Wi-Fi Alliance promotes a specification called
Wi-Fi
Direct for file transfers and media sharing through a new discovery- and
security-methodology. Wi-Fi Direct launched in October 2010.
