Why Wi-Fi Is Important
The 802.11 standard is important because millions of people all over the world are using this standard. They use it to connect without wires to the Internet when they are on the road and away from their home or office. They are also using 802.11 to create wireless networks in their homes and offices.
Although Wi-Fi is only a few years old, it's important because it provides an assurance of compatibility for 802.11 devices. Each Wi-Fi device will “talk” to every other Wi-Fi device—and the Wi-Fi Alliance has certified that this is the case! (For more information about the Wi-Fi Alliance, see the sidebar “The Wi-Fi Alliance” earlier in this chapter.)
The Wi-Fi Alliance makes the unequivocal statement that “Wi-Fi labeled equipment ...
Get Absolute Beginner's Guide to Wi-Fi® Wireless Networking now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
