Wi-Fi is a brand originally licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe the underlying technology of wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications. Wi-Fi is not so pervasive, and the term so generic, that the brand is no longer protected and it appears in Webster's Dictionary.

Wi-Fi was intended to be used for mobile computing devices, such as laptops, in LANs, but is now often used for increasingly more applications, including Internet Access, gaming, and basic connectivity of consumer electronics such as televisions and DVD players. There are even more standards in development that will allow Wi-Fi to be used by cars on highways in support of Intelligent Transportation Systems in increase safety, gather statistics, and enable mobile commerce IEEE 802.11p.

 

A Traditional point-to-point is a communications medium with exactly two endpoints and no data or packet formatting. The host computers at either end had to take full responsibility for formatting the data transmitted between them. The connection would often be implemented through an RS-232 interface. Computers in close proximity may be connected by wires directly between their interface cards.
When connected at a distance, each end point would be fitted with a modem to convert analog telecommunications signals into a digital data stream. When the connection used a telecommunications provider, the connections were called a dedicated, leased or private line.
More recently, the term point-to-point telecommunications relates to wireless data communications for Internet or VoiceOver IP via radio frequencies in the multi-GHZ range. It also includes technologies such as laser for telecommunications but in all cases expects that the transmission medium is line of sight and capable of being fairly tightly beamed from transmitter to receiver

Virtual Private Networks (VPN)

VPN uses a public network (usually the Internet) to connect remote sites or users together. Instead of using a dedicated, real-world connection such as a leased line, a VPN uses "virtual" connections routed through the Internet from the company's private network to the remote site or employee.
A well-designed VPN can greatly benefit a company. For Example, it can:
8 Extend geographic connectivity
8 Improve Security
8 Reduce operational costs versus traditional WAN
8 Reduce transit time and transportation costs for remote users
8 Improve productivity
8 Simplify network topology
8 Provide telecommuter support
8 Provide broadband networking compatibility
8 Provide faster ROI (return on investment) than traditional WAN

What features are needed in a well-designed VPN? It should incorporate:
8 Security
8 Reliability
8 Scalability
8 Network management
8 Policy management