If you've been in an airport, hotel, library or coffee shop recently, you might have been noticed people using their cell phones and laptops to surf the Internet. Chances are you've been right in the middle of a wireless network using Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is short for Wireless Fidelity, wireless technology brand owned by the Wi-Fi Alliance which was intended to improve the interoperability of wireless local area network products based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. Any products tested and approved as ?Wi-Fi Certified? (a registered trademark) by the Wi-Fi Alliance are certified as interoperable with each other, even if they are from different manufacturers. A user with a ?Wi-Fi Certified? product can use any brand of access point with any other brand of client hardware that also is certified. Typically, however, any Wi-Fi product using the same radio frequency will work with any other, even if not ?Wi-Fi Certified.?

Formerly, the term ?Wi-Fi? was used only in place of the 2.4GHz 802.11b standard, in the same way that 'ethernet' is used in place of IEEE 802.3. The Alliance expanded the generic use of the term in an attempt to stop confusion about wireless local area network (LAN) interoperability. Common applications for Wi-Fi include Internet and VoIP phone access, gaming, and network connectivity for consumer electronics such as televisions, DVD players, and digital cameras. Many people also use wireless networking to connect their computers at home, and an increasing number of cities use the technology to provide free or low-cost Internet access to residents. In the near future, wireless networking may become so widespread that you can access the Internet just about anywhere at any time, without using wires.

One can take advantage of public WiFi hotspots or start a wireless network at home. The first thing to do is make sure the computer has the right wireless gear. Most new laptops and many new desktop computers come with built-in wireless transmitters. Desktop computers can use USB adapters, or one can buy an adapter that plugs into the PCI slot inside the computer's case. Many of these adapters can use more than one 802.11 standard.

Since 2002, many people have set up wireless networks in their homes. Businesses have done the same, giving their employees additional mobility. Public gathering places like coffee shops, parks, and libraries have created WiFi hot spots, hoping to draw in additional businesses. Today, cities have also begun setting up municipal wireless networks. Some of these networks provide high-speed Internet access for free or for much less the price of other broadband services. With technology advancing day by day, there is no doubt that we will eventually communicate and access the Internet with greater ease and speed in the days ahead.

Another revolutionary product was conceived because of the Internet. Just like WiFi, Internet faxing provides easy connectivity. Internet faxing uses the same principles as facsimile transmission, but it uses a Web interface instead of a fax machine. It can be a flexible, inexpensive option for transmitting documents. Internet fax services usually assign a fax number to each person who signs up for the service. People can send faxes to a certain number, and customers can send faxes via e-mail without using a fax machine.

Internet faxing functions where documents are sent and received via e-mail or a secure server over a standard Internet connection rather than through conventional phone lines. It is transmitted as a PDF attachments by e-mail. One can send or receive faxes anywhere through a mobile computer, PDA, or smartphone ( a mobile phone with personal computer like functions) that has wireless Web access. Internet faxing is a simple solution that does not need much of a great knowledge or change in habits. It suits best for people on the go, those who work at home and, most especially, at the work place. Internet faxing is best for busy employees to save time and manage important documents better.