What Is a Wireless Hotspot?
A hotspot is an area served by a Wi-Fi wireless access point to provide Internet service. Figure 14-1 shows the basic elements. A hotspot provider is the owner of the Internet service, and it can be a very large commercial operator, such as T-Mobile, or a small privately owned hotspot, such as a neighborhood shop. Some cities and communities are also starting to provide Wi-Fi service in downtown areas for use by citizens. Depending on whether the service is a free or pay service (which requires a subscription), the hotspot provider may have a membership database, which contains information about who is permitted to use the service.
Connecting to wireless hotspot ...
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