The Wi-Fi Alliance has put its imprimatur on new technology it calls Wi-Fi Direct. This will enable two devices equipped with Wi-Fi to connect directly without need for an intervening Wi-Fi hotspot.
The Wi-Fi Alliance has put its imprimatur on new technology it calls Wi-Fi Direct. This will enable two devices equipped with Wi-Fi to connect directly without need for an intervening Wi-Fi hotspot.
Devices stamped with the Wi-Fi Direct certification won’t need wireless networks, as they essentially become micro-hotspots.
Speeds for Wi-Fi Direct are based on 802.11b/g/n channels, suggesting throughput at rates upward of 300Mbps.
Existing Wi-Fi devices will be capable of being upgraded to Wi-Fi Direct with a firmware upgrade, while many new devices will have the standard built in.
Users will need only one Wi-Fi Direct device to make a connection, which can act like an access point for one or more Wi-Fi enabled machines.
Observers say this will make it easy for two people to share files between laptops or cameras, send print jobs from a camera to a printer or push a video from a handset to another Wi-Fi enabled device. It could also be used for home entertainment networking or multi-player gaming.
