Is WIFI and Wireless the same ?

Both operate on 2.4Ghz so what is the difference ?

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 18:49:57 +0000, amstereofan wrote:

> Both operate on 2.4Ghz so what is the difference ?

WiFi is just another name, coined by M$, to describe wireless networking.

Dave
--
And you were born knowing all about ms windows....??

"amstereofan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:3fef4fe4$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Both operate on 2.4Ghz so what is the difference ?
>
>
WiFi is a certification of interoperability of wireless products.
http://www.weca.net/OpenSection/index.asp

Dave Stanton wrote:

> On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 18:49:57 +0000, amstereofan wrote:
>
>> Both operate on 2.4Ghz so what is the difference ?
>
> WiFi is just another name, coined by M$, to describe wireless networking.
>
> Dave

Eek! For once this isn't an M$ term... more a bandwagon that was already
going at some pace!

WiFi is a 'branding' of WECA, an industry forum setup several years ago
(1999) by the leading companies involved in the (then) emerging 2.4Ghz
wireless industry. The founding members included those that developed the
technology (and are still at the forefront of it) - Symbol, Intersil,
Cisco, 3Com, Nokia and Agere. The membership list (at weca's website
http://www.weca.net/OpenSection/members.asp?TID=2 ) is now pretty long
and now includes software-only companies as well as hardware vendors.
Microsoft joined in 2001 (according to a quick google).

The purpose of the 'WiFi' branding is to indicate "a good level" of inter-
operability so that, say an Access Point (AP) from Vendor A would work with
a PC Card from Vendor B etc,. By 'a good level' I mean that some features
found on some vendor's Wifi products are over and above the standard.
(hence the price range for similar class WiFi kit can be quite wide).
Nevertheless, you should be able to mix WiFi kit and get connected and
you're unlikely to find the WiFi boundry if you're just trying to get your
home PC connected wirelessly.... That said, you so frequently find vendor's
marketing a pack that contains both their AP and PC card that
interoperability is a moot point for many!

So, back to the original question, there are a number of wireless networking
products that run at 2.4Ghz that are not WiFi compatible and so the terms
'Wireless' and 'WiFi' dont mean the same. So "WiFi" kit is "wireless", but
not necessarily the other way round!!

John Wilkins wrote:

> Dave Stanton wrote:

> The purpose of the 'WiFi' branding is to indicate "a good level" of inter-
> operability so that, say an Access Point (AP) from Vendor A would work
> with
should have added.. between same wifi catagory products, of course, so Wifi
802.11b work with each other. Wifi 802.11g with each other etc,. Wifi
802.11b wont connect to 802.11g etc,.

"John Wilkins" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> John Wilkins wrote:
>
> > Dave Stanton wrote:
>
> > The purpose of the 'WiFi' branding is to indicate "a good level" of
inter-
> > operability so that, say an Access Point (AP) from Vendor A would work
> > with
> should have added.. between same wifi catagory products, of course, so
Wifi
> 802.11b work with each other. Wifi 802.11g with each other etc,. Wifi
> 802.11b wont connect to 802.11g etc,.

So is a 11MB pcmcia card likely to connect to WIFI points in public places
not that I have any intention or need to do so

O
>
> Eek! For once this isn't an M$ term... more a bandwagon that was already
> going at some pace!
>

It would not surprise if it was'nt put forward by M$, its twee enough to
be a M$ word.

DAve

--
And you were born knowing all about ms windows....??