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Compatible devices can network through wireless access points with each other as well as with wired devices and the Internet. Wi-Fi uses multiple parts of the IEEE 802 protocol family and is designed to work seamlessly with its wired sibling, Ethernet. As of 2019, over 3.05 billion Wi-Fi-enabled devices are shipped globally each year. As of 2017, the Wi-Fi Alliance consisted of more than 800 companies from around the world. Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance, which restricts the use of the term " Wi-Fi Certified" to products that successfully complete interoperability certification testing. These are the most widely used computer networks in the world, used globally in home and small office networks to link desktop and laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, smart TVs, printers, and smart speakers together and to a wireless router to connect them to the Internet, and in wireless access points in public places like coffee shops, hotels, libraries, and airports to provide visitors with Internet connectivity for their mobile devices. Wi-Fi ( / ˈ w aɪ f aɪ/) is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio waves.
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