The typical Wi-Fi setup contains one or more Access Points (APs) and
one or more clients. An AP broadcasts its SSID
(Service Set Identifier, "Network name") via packets that are called beacons,
which are broadcast every 100 ms. The beacons are transmitted at 1
Mbit/s, and are of relatively short duration and therefore do not have
a significant influence on performance. Since 1 Mbit/s is the lowest
rate of Wi-Fi it assures that the client who receives the beacon can
communicate at least 1 Mbit/s.
source - Wi-Fi.
(2006, August 30). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Retrieved August 29, 2006, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-fi
The term "Wi-Fi" itself is really a moniker cast by the Wi-Fi Alliance, a
group which
certifies equipment as being fully standards-compliant and
interoperable between manufacturers. All of Hautspot's hardware is
indeed Wi-Fi
Certified, and Hautspot is a member of Wi-Fi Zone, the
provider
counterpart to the manufacturer's Wi-Fi Alliance.