{"id":98341,"date":"2024-07-16T12:46:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-16T10:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/glossary\/wlan-wireless-local-area-network\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T23:53:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T22:53:15","slug":"wlan-wireless-local-area-network","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/en\/glossary\/wlan-wireless-local-area-network\/","title":{"rendered":"WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"98341\" class=\"elementor elementor-98341 elementor-54904\" data-elementor-post-type=\"glossary\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-79ee28ad e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"79ee28ad\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e8c1d7 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4e8c1d7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-223e58c8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"223e58c8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4dde8c0e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4dde8c0e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31a49be0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"31a49be0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What is a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2e6a0057 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2e6a0057\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>WLAN stands for &#8220;Wireless Local Area Network,&#8221; a wireless local <a href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/glossar\/netzwerk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">network<\/a>, and refers to a local wireless network that connects devices such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops wirelessly to the internet or network resources. It enables access to the internet without physical cable connections. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9d2176d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"9d2176d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-90994e9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"90994e9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How It Works<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-578463e1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"578463e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Wireless WLAN networks use electromagnetic waves in the microwave range to transmit data between a router and connected devices. Communication occurs over frequency bands, primarily at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. The router receives the internet signal via a telephone or internet connection and forwards it wirelessly to the connected devices. Data is also transmitted in reverse from the device to the router and then forwarded to the internet.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a0a2d6a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a0a2d6a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Distinction Between WLAN and Wi-Fi<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-861b624 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"861b624\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Although the term Wi-Fi is often used synonymously, it is actually a brand name that has entered common English usage: Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi is therefore a specific implementation of WLAN that guarantees device compatibility. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6bd99b2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6bd99b2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Security<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a34116e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a34116e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Public WLAN networks, such as those in buses and trains, offer convenience but pose security risks. Data can be intercepted by unauthorized parties. To prevent this, users should use <a href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/glossar\/vpn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VPNs<\/a> (Virtual Private Networks) to encrypt their data traffic and avoid sensitive activities such as online banking.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-19581000 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"19581000\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2a2281ff elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"2a2281ff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Home<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-de62925 elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"de62925\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/en\/knowledge\/glossary\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Glossary<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WLAN stands for &#8220;Wireless Local Area Network&#8221; and enables access to the internet without physical cable connections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":97354,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"glossary-categories":[],"glossary-tags":[],"class_list":["post-98341","glossary","type-glossary","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) | firstcolo Glossary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"WLAN stands for &quot;Wireless Local Area Network&quot; and enables access to the internet without physical cable connections.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.net\/en\/glossary\/wlan-wireless-local-area-network\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta 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