Wifi

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WiFi is a way of accessing the Internet using high frequency radio signals. This means that you needn't be connected to your provider with even one wire. If you are on a battery operated laptop, you won't need any wires at all to perform any computer functions.

With more and more people working from laptops rather than desktops, WiFi has gained in universal popularity. WiFi is wireless networking, and many notebook computers can be outfitted with wireless cards that let them access the Internet in a WiFi area. WiFi areas can include homes with wireless routers, airports, and in cafes and other areas that offer access points. A Netgear wireless router, for instance, will allow you to connect to the Internet anywhere in your home, without being plugged in.

Some towns, like Mountain View, California, are completely wireless. This means that anywhere you are in town, you can access the Internet via your laptop. Other towns, like Oakland, offer free WiFi in busy public areas such as City Center Park. WiFi is becoming a major drawing point for businesses, and some offer free wireless access, while others are part of a system for which you need to pay a monthly or daily fee.

Wireless cards are dropping in price, and there is even a WiFi Alliance made up of leading wireless providers and manufacturers who want to promote communication and cooperation in the industry. This technology is already ubiquitous in some urban areas, and is poised to become the leading connection technology everywhere. This is allowing Mac and PC users to take their work and play into restaurants, cafes, parks, bookstores, and onto college campuses to enjoy easy network connections. Added functionality gained through devices like wireless print servers make WiFi poised to take over the workplace as well.