Wi-Fi(wireless fidelity)

Wireless and fast: Wi-Fi is available on almost all higher end phones today, and gives you a connection to the Internet at 11 Mbps or faster.

What you can do with WLAN (Wi-Fi)

Many hotels, airports, cafes, offices, and convention centers offer Wi-Fi connections, sometimes for a fee and sometimes free of charge. Finding fast Internet access on the go is easier - and you'll be using your own machine with your own much-needed files.

• Browse the Internet or send files
• Wi-Fi has a typical range of 50-100 meters
• Connect to your office or personal email account
• Synchronize your phone and office calendar
• Connect to the office intranet
• Send/receive word, sheet or ppt files
• Make use of advanced conference call technologies that require a network connection
• Play online games
• Chat using instant messaging on your phone
• Update your contacts' Presence status
• No hotspot? Connect to the Internet using GPRS/EDGE or WCDMA 

How WLAN works

To use WLAN, you need a handset that supports the technology and you need to be in an area with an active Wi-Fi network (called a "hotspot"). Depending on the security settings for the network, you might need to enter a passcode to connect.

WLAN stands for Wireless Local Area Network. Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) refers to a specific range of WLAN networks, namely IEEE802.11, which today are the most commonly used WLAN networks.

WLAN stands for Wireless Local Area Network. Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) refers to a specific range of WLAN networks, namely IEEE802.11, which today are the most commonly used WLAN networks. A product that supports Wi-Fi has passed compatibility and quality tests set by the Wi-Fi Alliance. The terms WLAN and Wi-Fi are used almost interchangeably nowadays, simply because the most common WLANs fit the Wi-Fi standard.

Like Bluetooth, GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, and GSM, WLAN uses radio waves to transfer information.

Connect to a hotspot

A hotspot is your source for a WLAN connection. Basically, it's a box containing an 802.11 radio that's hardwired to the Internet. Connecting to a hotspot can be free, or you may have to pay for access. In the most basic situation, all you have to do is be within range of the hotspot and you can automatically connect to the Internet. With some hotspots, you may have to enter an access code first.

The difference between all those 802.11 versions

The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) sets global standards for various technologies, and it uses numbers to distinguish between technology types. There are a few standard versions of WLAN that can be used by the same Nokia products:

802.11b: this is the first, simplest, and cheapest version of WLAN. It connects using an unlicensed radio signal operating at 2.4GHz, and its top transfer speed is 11 Mbps.

802.11g: this also uses the 2.4GHz frequency band but uses a new coding technology. Version 802.11g has a max speed of 54 Mbps.

802.11a: this version operates at a frequency of 5GHz. It uses the same improved coding technology as 802.11g and has a maximum speed of 54 Mbps.