The advantages of Wi-Fi are:

• Unlike packet radio systems, Wi-Fi uses unlicensed radio spectrum and does not require regulatory approval for individual deployers.

• Allows LANs to be deployed without cabling, potentially reducing the costs of network deployment and expansion. Spaces where cables cannot be run, such as outdoor areas and historical buildings, can host wireless LANs.

• Wi-Fi products are widely available in the market. Different brands of access points and client network interfaces are interoperable at a basic level of service.

• Competition amongst vendors has lowered prices considerably since their inception.

• Wi-Fi networks support roaming, in which a mobile client station such as a laptop computer can move from one access point to another as the user moves around a building or area.

• Many access points and network interfaces support various degrees of encryption to protect traffic from interception.

• Wi-Fi is a global set of standards. Unlike cellular carriers, the same Wi-Fi client works in different countries around the world.

Interior gateways connect LANs of one organization, whereas exterior gateways connect the organization to the outside world.