Imagine anywhere, anytime Internet access.

Imagine a network that allows employees to enjoy a professional career yet work at home, without worrying about telephone jacks and cable outlets.

Imagine road warriors, armed with only a computing device (laptop or PDA), constantly on the move, quickly being able to sniff out wireless networks that provide highspeed Internet connections.

Imagine employees taking laptops to meetings, the cafeteria or even the warehouse always in touch, always available.

Imagine Web surfing for a company's address and directions while sitting in traffic, or uploading a big presentation to the office while commuting by bus or train. Or perhaps browsing the Web while sitting on a park bench, or reviewing the latest news while you're waiting to pick up your kids from school. In other words, imagine being able to go anywhere with the means to communicate always at your fingertips.

Have I whetted your interest?

All of these exciting possibilities and many more become real with the help of "Wi-Fi" (short for "wireless fidelity") technology. The term Wi-Fi (which can be used interchangeably with IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, Wireless Local Area Network, WirelessLAN, and WLAN) is the idiom commonly used to describe wireless networking technology.

The author is among those believing that Wi-Fi represents the proverbial "next big thing" in our culture. Creating a geographically extensive "Wireless Net" based on such technology just might help launch the next big business cycle.

At present, media discussions of Wi-Fi emphasize how forward-thinking individuals can set up and operate...