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WAN

See Wide Area Network (WAN).

WAP

See Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).

Warchalker

According to the Warchalking Organization (www.warchalking.org), a warchalker is a person that makes a practice of marking a series of symbols on sidewalks and walls to indicate nearby wireless access. That way, other computer users can pop open their laptops and connect to the Internet wirelessly. It was inspired by the practice of hobos during the Great Depression who used chalk marks to indicate which homes were friendly.

Wardriver

A person who travels with a specially equipped mobile computing device in search of free bandwidth, which they can tap into and access the Internet.

Warwalker

See Wardriver.

W-CDMA

See Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA).

WDS

See Wireless Distribution System (WDS).

WEP

See Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP).

Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA)

A third generation standard offered to the International Telecommunication Union by GSM proponents. This wideband Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol is expected to be used for third-generation mobile cellular systems to support very high-speed multimedia services such as full-motion video, Internet access and video conferencing. Also sometimes referred to as CDMA Direct Spread.

Wi-Fi Alliance

An organization, formerly known as the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), whose mission is to certify all 802.11-based products for interoperability and promoting the term Wi-Fi as the global brand name across all markets for any 802.11-based wireless LAN products.

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)

An industry-supported, pre-standard version of 802.11i utilizing the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), which fixes the problems of WEP, including using dynamic keys. WPA will serve until the 802.11i standard is ratified.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A geographically dispersed communications network. The term distinguishes a broader communication structure than a local area network; although the term also usually connotes the inclusion of public (shared user) networks such as the Internet.

Windows CE

This term refers to a Microsoft Windows operating system that is specifically designed for inclusion in mobile and other space-constrained devices.

See also Pocket PC.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

An encryption method designed to offer wireless LANs some measure of security, although recent studies have shown that WEP fails to offer the necessary security required by most wireless networks. WEP scrambles data sent between a client device and an access point.

Wireless Adapter

A term used to describe any device that links a computer with a network. Most wireless adapters come in either a network interface card or PC card form factor.

See also Network Interface Card (NIC).

See also PC Card.

Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)

This is an open specification that supports Internet protocols on wireless cellular devices such as mobile phones, pagers, two-way radios, smart phones and communicators to easily access and interact with Internet-based services. Simply put, WAP is a special way of formatting content so that it can appear on small screens, like those on cellular phones.

Wireless Distribution System (WDS)

A network design used to create access point-to-access point communications when a CAT5 cable cannot be used or is unavailable. Similar to repeating, it is primarily used to extend the reach of the WLAN.

Wireless Hub

A term that is sometimes used to refer to a wireless access point..

See also Access Point (AP).

Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP)

Services run by wireless Internet access providers. These services can resemble traditional Internet service, in that they can be designed for a range of commercial clients to get their public facility online. There are many WISP business models. Some are start-up regional (and national) service providers, and others are venue owners (hotels, airports, cafés, convention centers) who have outfitted their own facilities to accommodate their visitors/customers.

See also Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

This refers to a local area network in which the end-user can connect via a wireless (radio) connection. The wireless connection, in turn, allows the end-user to access the network while on the move.

Wireless Network Management System (WNMS)

A term that refers to software tools that provide WLAN network managers with the network's performance data and information in a mouse driven, windowed environment. Most WNMS's provide the actual performance of wireless network components in easily understood graphs and reports.

Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)

This term generally refers to digital cellular phone networks that serve an extensive geographic area. Unlike WLANs, which are unlicensed and typically administered privately by the customer, WWANs generally are operated by public carriers, use open standards (e.g. GSM, CDMA), have a range in miles rather than feet, and provide data transfer speeds from 5 Kbps to 60 Kbps.

WISP

See Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP).

WLAN

See Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).

WNMS

See Wireless Network Management System (WNMS).

WPA

See Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).

WWAN

See Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN).

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