10Web and wireless connections

137 Wi-Fi

141HP mobile hotspot

143VPN

145Web

150Location Services

151Maps

153Bluetooth® wireless technology

156Touch to Share

157Use your smartphone as a modem

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, which is a wireless local area network (WLAN). To access this WLAN, you connect your smartphone to the WLAN through a Wi-Fi access point (also called a hotspot). When you're within range of an accessible Wi-Fi network, you can use your smartphone's Wi-Fi feature to connect to that network and access the web.

Your smartphone supports Wi-Fi connectivity based on the 802.11 standard (802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n), with WPA, WPA2, WEP and 802.1x authentication.

TIP Your HP Pre3 is itself a Wi-Fi access point. Use your smartphone to connect your laptop to the Internet. See HP mobile hotspot.

Why use a Wi-Fi connection?

A Wi-Fi connection is especially helpful in the following situations:

•You’re outside a coverage area and you want to access the web.

•Your wireless service provider's service plan incurs additional charges for data services and you want to minimise data service charges by using a Wi-Fi connection instead.

•You want to maintain a web connection while talking on the smartphone.

•You're inside a coverage area, but outside your wireless service provider's UMTS (3G or HSDPA) coverage area. (A Wi-Fi connection may provide faster throughput than a GPRS or EDGE data connection.)

Chapter 10 : Web and wireless connections 137