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Wi-Fi
(redirected from Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance)

    Also found in: Acronyms, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.

Wi-Fi

A logo from the Wi-Fi Alliance that certifies network devices comply with the IEEE 802.11 wireless Ethernet standards. In the early 2000s, Wi-Fi/802.11 became widely used (initially 802.11b, then 802.11g), and within a short time, all laptops and other handheld devices came with Wi-Fi built in. Earlier laptops can be Wi-Fi enabled by plugging in a Wi-Fi adapter via the USB port or PC Card. For details about how Wi-Fi fits into a home or office network, see wireless LAN.

What's in a Name?
Wi-Fi sounds a lot like "hi-fi," thus it is mistaken to stand for "wireless fidelity." Although the term may have been inspired by "high-fidelity," Wi-Fi is officially just a catchy name, not "wireless fidelity." For details about the transmission technology, see 802.11. See Wi-Fi Alliance, WiMAX, Wi-Fi Multimedia, Wi-Fi camera, Muni Wi-Fi, wireless mesh network, hotspot and cellular vs. Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi
Computing a system of accessing the internet from remote machines such as laptop computers that have wireless connections
(networking)wi-fi - Either of two different incompatible radio-based LAN protocols, namely 802.11b (which speaks DSSS at 2.4GHz) and 802.11a (which speaks OFDM at 5GHz).

The term was invented by the marketing departments of wi-fi equipment manufacturers. It is, notionally, short for "wireless fidelity", on the analogy of hi-fi for "high fidelity" audio.


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11 global standard, and Intersil is a founding sponsor of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), whose Wi-Fi brand is a mark of compatibility for 802.
INTERSIL'S PRISM CHIP SET POWERS NEW SHIN YOUNG WIRELESS LAN PRODUCTS by EDP Weekly's IT Monitor
Technology companies on both sides of the issue had been lobbying furiously in recent months, with HomeRF Working Group supporters (led by Intel, Motorola, and Proxim) squaring off against members of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (including Lucent and Apple) who support the 802.
FCC Ruling Puts Wireless Home Networking Up For Grabs by Piven, Joshua / Computer Technology Review
The Wi-Fi Alliance, formerly known as the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), is a nonprofit international association formed in 1999 to certify interoperability of wireless LAN products based on IEEE 802.
Atheros 802.11a/b PC Card and Access Point Receive Wi-Fi ... by Business Wire
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