Most people associate the term "Wi-Fi®" with the ability to browse the internet wirelessly. Though this definition isn't incorrect, there is much more to Wi-Fi wireless technology than just browsing the internet. Ten years ago, no one would have thought that it would be possible to listen to music from your basement computer on your entertainment system upstairs, or download songs to your Wi-Fi-enabled MP3 player, but Wi-Fi technology has made it possible to do not only these, but a host of other applications as well.

What is Wi-Fi?

Short for "wireless fidelity", Wi-Fi is one of the most popular wireless communications standards on the market. In its fledgling stages, Wi-Fi technology was almost solely used to wirelessly connect laptop computers to the internet via local area networks (LANs), but thanks to the immense flexibility the technology provides, that's no longer the case. Wi-Fi technology is now found in a host of non-computer electronic devices as well, such as home theater receivers, portable gaming devices, DVD players, digital cameras, and even GPS devices.

Wi-Fi is technically a trademarked brand name for the wireless standard owned by the Wi-Fi Alliance, much like Bluetooth® is trademarked by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. However, the term has become so widely used (like Xerox® and Kleenex®), that it has become a generic term, and the copyright is no longer protected.

Wireless Standards
The official name for the specification is IEEE 802.11, and it is comprised of more than 20 different standards, each of which is denoted by a letter appended to the end of the name. The most familiar standards are 802.11b and 802.11g (Wireless B and G) which are used in the majority of commercial Wi-Fi devices. Both of these standards operate in the 2.4 GHz band, and the only major difference between the two is the transfer rate (see chart below).

Some consumer electronics, however, use a different standard—Wireless A. These devices operate within the 5 GHz range and have transfer rates equivalent to 802.11g. However, since they operate on different frequencies, devices using the 802.11a standard cannot communicate with B and G-enabled devices. For this reason, it is important to check the compatibility of components with your wireless network prior to purchasing them.

Comparison of standards
The table below provides a brief overview of the three most popular current 802.11 standards, as well as information about the next version of Wi-Fi — 802.11n.