wireless local area network (WLAN)

A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a wireless computer network that interconnects two or more devices using wireless communication to form a local area network (LAN) within a limited geographical area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, campus, or office building. This gives users the ability to move around within the area and remain connected to the network. Through a gateway, a WLAN can also provide a connection to the wider Internet.

Wireless LANs based on the IEEE 802.11 standards are the most widely used computer networks. These are commonly called Wi-Fi, which is a trademark belonging to the Wi-Fi Alliance.