wi-fi direct

Home networking explained, Part 1: Here's the URL for you

Editors' note: This post is part of an ongoing series and was updated on February 13, 2013, to add information about hubs, switches, and the new 802.11ad Wi-Fi standard. For the other parts, check out the related stories.

As the guy who reviews networking products, I generally receive a couple of e-mails from readers a day, and most of them, in one way or another, are asking about the basics of networking (as in computer to computer, I am not talking about social networks here.)

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate e-mails because, at the very least, it gives me the impression that there are real people out there amid the sea of spam. But I'd rather not keep repeating myself. So instead of saying the same thing over and over again in individual e-mails, I'll talk all about home networking basics, in layman's terms, in this post.… Read more

How to use S Beam on your Samsung Galaxy S3

One of the most exciting features announced with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is S Beam, which uses near-field communication (NFC) and Wi-Fi Direct to send files between two phones.

Android 4.0 already has a feature called Android Beam, which works over NFC to transmit information such as contact details and browser pages from one mobile to another. But it doesn't use Wi-Fi Direct, so it's impractical for large files.

By combining NFC and Wi-Fi Direct, S Beam is capable of sending large files between phones, such as images, videos and music tracks. The transfer … Read more

Wi-Fi Direct lets devices talk to each other (podcast)

It's long been possible to connect Wi-Fi-enabled wireless devices to each other via a network or an access point, but the Wi-Fi Alliance has announced that is has begun certifying Wi-Fi Direct products "capable of making device-to-device connections." In other words, instead of your laptop sending documents to your printer via your network as is now the case, the new technology will make it possible for the laptop to speak directly to the printer.

To find out how it all works, I spoke with Wi-Fi Alliance spokesperson Kelly Davis-Felner.

Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | RSS (audio)

Wi-Fi Alliance now certifies Wi-Fi direct products

First demonstrated at CES 2010, Wi-Fi Direct has taken another step to become part of the Wi-Fi usage spectrum.

The Wi-Fi Alliance, the group that tests and certifies Wi-Fi products to make sure they interoperate, announced today that it has begun certifying products capable of making Wi-Fi-based device-to-device connections and designating them Wi-Fi Certified Wi-Fi Direct.

Traditionally, Wi-Fi clients need to connect to a central place, called an access point, before they can connect to one another in their "infrastructure" mode. Other than that, they can also connect in pairs via a mode called "ad-hoc," which … Read more

Wi-Fi Direct becomes real at CES 2010

LAS VEGAS--It's not like I need any more reasons to love Wi-Fi; my iPhone attests to that everyday. However, the Wi-Fi Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes the use of Wi-Fi technology, has something it believes will make you love this popular way for devices to connect even more--especially owners of electronics that, for now, are not known to be Wi-Fi-enabled.

It is called "Wi-Fi Direct." and for the first time it's now being demonstrated at CES 2010.

First introduced back in October, Wi-Fi Direct makes connecting Wi-Fi-enabled devices much easier by allowing many of them … Read more