270 Section 3C: Your Connections to the Web and Wireless Devices
Wi-Fi
What Is a Wi-Fi Connection?
Many environments, such as corporate offices, coffee shops, airports, and libraries, offer
access to a Wi-Fi network. A Wi-Fi network is a wireless local area network (WLAN). Your
phone supports W-Fi connectivity based on the 802.11 standard (802.11b and 802.11g), with
WPA, WPA2, WEP, and 802.1x authentication. A Wi-Fi access point, also called a hotspot, is a
network device with an antenna that provides wireless connections to a larger network. When
you’re within range of an accessible Wi-Fi network, you can use your phone’s Wi-Fi feature to
connect to that network and access the Web.
Why Use a Wi-Fi Connection?
A Wi-Fi connection is especially helpful in the following situations:
䢇 You’re outside a coverage area and you want to access the Web.
䢇 Your Sprint service plan incurs additional charges for data services and you want to
minimize data service charges by using a Wi-Fi connection instead.
䢇 You want to maintain a Web connection while talking on the phone.
䢇 You’re inside a coverage area, but outside of a Sprint Mobile Broadband coverage area.
(A Wi-Fi connection may provide faster throughput than a Sprint 1xRTT data connection.).
Are There Different Kinds of Wi-Fi Networks?
There are two types of Wi-Fi networks:
䢇 Open networks: These networks broadcast their name (SSID) and do not require you to
enter a password or other settings. To learn how to connect to an open network for the
first time, see “Connect to a New Open Network” on page 272.
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