Wi-Fi Alliance
Encyclopedia
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a trade association
that promotes Wireless LAN
technology and certifies products if they conform to certain standards of interoperability. Not every IEEE 802.11-compliant device is submitted for certification to the Wi-Fi Alliance, sometimes because of costs associated with the certification process. The lack of the Wi-Fi logo does not necessarily imply a device is incompatible with Wi-Fi devices.
The Wi-Fi Alliance owns the Wi-Fi trademark
. Manufacturers may use the trademark to brand certified products that belong to a class of wireless local area network
(WLAN) devices based on the IEEE 802.11
standards.
In 1999, pioneers of a new, higher speed (compared to the original 802.11) spec, endorsed the IEEE 802.11b specification to form the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) and branded the new technology Wi-Fi.
The group of companies included 3Com
, Aironet (now Cisco
), Harris Semiconductor (now Intersil
), Lucent (now Agere), Symbol Technologies
(now Motorola
), Nokia
. As key sponsors, now the Alliance lists other companies, such as Apple inc. and Microsoft
. The charter for this independent organization was to perform testing, certify interoperability of products, and to promote the technology.
WECA renamed itself the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2002. It is based in Austin, Texas.
Today, most producers of 802.11 equipment are members, and the Wi-Fi Alliance has over 375 member companies worldwide.
, a registered trademark, which is permitted only on equipment which has passed testing. Purchasers relying on that trademark
will have greater chances of interoperation than otherwise. Testing is rigorous because the standards involve not only radio and data format interoperability, but security protocols, as well as optional testing for Quality of Service and power management protocols.
From a Wi-Fi Alliance paper on Wi-Fi Certification A focus on user experience has shaped the overall approach of the Wi Fi Alliance certification program: Wi Fi CERTIFIED products have to demonstrate that they can perform well in networks with other Wi Fi CERTIFIED products, running common applications, in situations similar to those encountered in everyday use.
This pragmatic approach stems from three tenets, around which certification is centered:
The Wi Fi Alliance definition of interoperability goes well beyond the ability to work in a Wi Fi network. To gain certification under a specific program, products have to show satisfactory performance levels in typical network
configurations and have to support both established and emerging applications. A user that purchases a Wi Fi enabled laptop, for instance, would not be satisfied if the laptop established a connection with the home network, only to get the throughput of a dial-up connection. Similarly, subscribers using a Wi Fi enabled mobile phone would be disappointed, if a voice call could not go through or was dropped.
The Wi Fi Alliance certification process includes three types of tests to ensure interoperability. Wi Fi CERTIFIED products are tested for:
Mandatory:
Optional:
For more information on Wi-Fi certification, see white paper "An Overview of Wi-Fi Alliance Approach to Certification" Wi-Fi.org.
that allows Wi-Fi-enabled devices to communicate directly with each other, without going through a wireless access point or hotspot. Some have suggested Wi-Fi Direct could spell the end for Bluetooth
for many applications.
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
that promotes Wireless LAN
Wireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...
technology and certifies products if they conform to certain standards of interoperability. Not every IEEE 802.11-compliant device is submitted for certification to the Wi-Fi Alliance, sometimes because of costs associated with the certification process. The lack of the Wi-Fi logo does not necessarily imply a device is incompatible with Wi-Fi devices.
The Wi-Fi Alliance owns the Wi-Fi trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
. Manufacturers may use the trademark to brand certified products that belong to a class of wireless local area network
Wireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...
(WLAN) devices based on the IEEE 802.11
IEEE 802.11
IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent...
standards.
History
Early 802.11 products suffered from interoperability problems because the IEEE has no provision for testing equipment for compliance with its standards.In 1999, pioneers of a new, higher speed (compared to the original 802.11) spec, endorsed the IEEE 802.11b specification to form the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) and branded the new technology Wi-Fi.
The group of companies included 3Com
3Com
3Com was a pioneering digital electronics manufacturer best known for its computer network infrastructure products. The company was co-founded in 1979 by Robert Metcalfe, Howard Charney, Bruce Borden, and Greg Shaw...
, Aironet (now Cisco
Cisco
Cisco may refer to:Companies:*Cisco Systems, a computer networking company* Certis CISCO, corporatised entity of the former Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation in Singapore...
), Harris Semiconductor (now Intersil
Intersil
Intersil Corporation is an American company that specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of high-performance analog semiconductors for four high-growth markets — Communications, Computing, High End Consumer and Industrial.-Company history:...
), Lucent (now Agere), Symbol Technologies
Symbol Technologies
Symbol Technologies is a manufacturer and worldwide supplier of mobile data capture and delivery equipment. The company specializes in barcode scanners, mobile computers, RFID systems and Wireless LAN infrastructure. Symbol Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola, and headquartered in...
(now Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
), Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
. As key sponsors, now the Alliance lists other companies, such as Apple inc. and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
. The charter for this independent organization was to perform testing, certify interoperability of products, and to promote the technology.
WECA renamed itself the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2002. It is based in Austin, Texas.
Today, most producers of 802.11 equipment are members, and the Wi-Fi Alliance has over 375 member companies worldwide.
Wi-Fi certification
The Wi-Fi Alliance also owns and controls the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logoLogo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
, a registered trademark, which is permitted only on equipment which has passed testing. Purchasers relying on that trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
will have greater chances of interoperation than otherwise. Testing is rigorous because the standards involve not only radio and data format interoperability, but security protocols, as well as optional testing for Quality of Service and power management protocols.
From a Wi-Fi Alliance paper on Wi-Fi Certification A focus on user experience has shaped the overall approach of the Wi Fi Alliance certification program: Wi Fi CERTIFIED products have to demonstrate that they can perform well in networks with other Wi Fi CERTIFIED products, running common applications, in situations similar to those encountered in everyday use.
This pragmatic approach stems from three tenets, around which certification is centered:
- Interoperability is the primary target of certification. Rigorous test cases are used to ensure that products from different equipment vendors can interoperate in a wide variety of configurations.
- Backward compatibility has to be preserved to allow for new equipment to work with existing gear. - Backward compatibility protects investments in legacy Wi Fi products and enables users to gradually upgrade and expand their networks.
- Innovation is supported through the introduction of new certification programs as the latest technology and specifications come into the marketplace. These certification programs may be mandatory (e.g. WPA2) or optional (e.g. WMMWireless Multimedia ExtensionsWireless Multimedia Extensions , also known as Wi-Fi Multimedia , is a Wi-Fi Alliance interoperability certification, based on the IEEE 802.11e standard. It provides basic Quality of service features to IEEE 802.11 networks. WMM prioritizes traffic according to four Access Categories - voice,...
). Equipment vendor differentiation and inventiveness are preserved in areas that are not covered by certification testing.
The Wi Fi Alliance definition of interoperability goes well beyond the ability to work in a Wi Fi network. To gain certification under a specific program, products have to show satisfactory performance levels in typical network
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
configurations and have to support both established and emerging applications. A user that purchases a Wi Fi enabled laptop, for instance, would not be satisfied if the laptop established a connection with the home network, only to get the throughput of a dial-up connection. Similarly, subscribers using a Wi Fi enabled mobile phone would be disappointed, if a voice call could not go through or was dropped.
The Wi Fi Alliance certification process includes three types of tests to ensure interoperability. Wi Fi CERTIFIED products are tested for:
- Compatibility: certified equipment has been tested for connectivity with other certified equipment . Compatibility testing has always been, and still is, the predominant component of interoperability testing, and it is the element that most people associate with “interoperability”. It involves tests with multiple devices from different equipment vendors. Compatibility testing is the program component that helps to ensure devices purchased today will work with Wi Fi CERTIFIED devices already owned or purchased in the future.
- Conformance: the equipment conforms to specific critical elements of the IEEE 802.11 standard. Conformance testingConformance testingConformance testing or type testing is testing to determine whether a product or system meets some specified standard that has been developed for efficiency or interoperability....
usually involves standalone analysis of individual products and establishes whether the equipment responds to inputs as expected and specified. For example, conformance testing is used to ensure that Wi Fi equipment protects itself and the network when the equipment detects evidence of network attacks. - Performance: the equipment meets the performance levels required to meet end-user expectations in support of key applications. Performance tests are not designed to measure and compare performance among products, but simply to verify that the product meets the minimum performance requirements for a good user experience as established by the Wi Fi Alliance. Specific performance tests results are not released by the Wi Fi Alliance.
List of WFA certification
Currently, the Wi-Fi Alliance provides certification testing as follows:Mandatory:
- Core MAC/PHY interoperability over 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n draft 2.0. (at least one)
- Wi-Fi Protected Access(tm)2 (WPA2) security, which aligns with IEEE 802.11i. WPA2 is available in two types: WPA2-Personal for consumer use, and WPA2 Enterprise, which adds EAP authentication.
Optional:
- Tests corresponding to IEEE 802.11h and 802.11d.
- WMM(r) Quality of Service, based upon a subset of IEEE 802.11e.
- WMM(r) Power Save, based upon APSD within IEEE 802.11e
- Wi-Fi Protected Setup(tm), a specification developed by the Alliance to ease the process of setting up and enabling security protections on small office and consumer Wi-Fi networks.
- CWG-RF (offered in conjunction with CTIA), to provide performance mapping of Wi-Fi and cellular radios in converged devices.
For more information on Wi-Fi certification, see white paper "An Overview of Wi-Fi Alliance Approach to Certification" Wi-Fi.org.
Wi-Fi Direct specification
In October 2010, the Alliance launched a new spec called Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi Direct
Wi-Fi Direct is a standard that allows Wi-Fi devices to talk to each other without the need for wireless access points .-Basic Wi-Fi:...
that allows Wi-Fi-enabled devices to communicate directly with each other, without going through a wireless access point or hotspot. Some have suggested Wi-Fi Direct could spell the end for Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
for many applications.