Wireless Fidelity, abbreviated WiFi, is a term used when describing the standards that apply to wireless LANs. Also referred to as the IEEE 802.11 standard, it is often discussed in relation to devices that connect to the Internet while allowing their users to stay mobile. Connectivity can be achieved with the help of wireless network interface cards, which can be either built-in or purchased and added to the system.
The Internet is a medium that enables many forms of communication, including the recent VoIP technology, which relies on the transmission of voice in the form of packets over the Internet – in other words, Internet telephony. It was therefore to be expected that VoIP developers should direct their attention towards the advantages offered by wireless Internet connections.
The new technological marriage is called Voice over Wireless Fidelity, abbreviated as VoWiFi. The practical implementation of it makes it possible for VoIP phones to connect to the Internt through a wireless access point – also known as a wireless hotspot. The advantages are obvious: wireless connectivity enables people to use their VoIP phone almost in the same way as a mobile phone – only almost, because cellular telephony networks have been around for some time now and cover wider areas than those where wireless Internet access is available. There are, however, some disadvantages as well, mainly in connection with data security. Since a user can easily connect their laptop to someone else’s hotspot, it is evident that serious caution is needed in designing wireless LANs, to make sure the hotspots do not endanger the privacy of the data on the network…
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