What is WiFi?
Definition
WiFi is the trademarked brand name for wireless local area networking based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. The WiFi Alliance certifies devices so equipment from different manufacturers works together. The “Fi” is not an abbreviation: the name was chosen for its sound rather than its meaning.
WiFi explained
Two organisations sit behind the name. The IEEE writes the 802.11 technical standards. The WiFi Alliance, an industry body, certifies products against them and owns the WiFi brand, which is why a certified phone from one manufacturer works with a certified access point from another.
The technology traces back to ALOHAnet, a wireless packet network built in Hawaii in 1971. The first 802.11 standard followed in 1997, and each amendment since has raised speed and capacity. The WiFi Alliance later gave the generations simpler names: WiFi 4 for 802.11n, WiFi 5 for 802.11ac, WiFi 6 for 802.11ax and WiFi 7 for 802.11be.
For venues, WiFi is now infrastructure rather than an amenity. It connects guests, staff, point-of-sale and IoT devices, often on separate networks running on the same access points. It is also a data source: sign-ins and connection data feed analytics and marketing. Planning a network means matching the generation to the density of the space and the devices people carry.
Need more than a definition?
Talk to our team about how Purple combines guest WiFi, captive portals, RADIUS, and analytics into a single platform that runs on the access points you already own.