Join the Wi-Fi Alliance

The Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance was formed in 1999 as a collaboration between six companies:

  • 3Com
  • Aironet
  • Intersil
  • Lucent Technologies
  • Nokia
  • Symbol Technologies

These companies had a vision of wireless internet access standardized according to the IEEE 802.11 specifications. This access, they imagined, would be available not just across the country, but across the world. WECA dubbed the technology Wi-Fi, and renamed itself the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2002. Today, the Wi-Fi Alliance is responsible for the Wi-Fi Certified Logo, which requires extensive testing to obtain. This testing examines radio and data format interoperability, security protocols, and quality of service and power management protocols.The following is a listing of WFA certifications, as found on Wikipedia: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,3 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,4 based upon a subset of IEEE 802.11e. WMM(r) Power Save,5 based upon APSD within IEEE 802.11e Wi-Fi Protected Setup(tm),6 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.As part of its continued dedication to wireless improvement, the Wi-Fi alliance announced in 2009 that it is developing a new set of protocols known as Wi-Fi Direct. This would let Wi-Fi devices connect without the need for wireless hot spots. This is accomplished by giving Wi-Fi Direct-capable devices the opportunity to act as both an Access Point (AP) and a Connected Station (STA). Although they won’t be able to do both at the same time, Wi-Fi Direct devices will be able to “decide” at the beginning of the connection which one would act as an Access Point.Membership in the Wi-Fi Alliance is 15,000 a year, and gives businesses the option to get their products certified at authorized test labs around the world and use the Wi-Fi Certified Logo. Plus, members get access to industry professionals during annual meetings and an extensive member network of over 300 companies.