Operating system Wi-Fi support: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Support in the operating system for Wi-Fi}}

{{Multiple issues|

{{original research|date=September 2015}}

{{Update|part=all|reason=all, in particular contemporary OSes and Wi-Fi standards: 11, macOS, Android, Linux; Wi-Fi 7, WPA3|date=July 2025}}

{{update|date=September 2015}}

}}

'''Operating system Wi-Fi support''' is defined as the facilities an operating system may include for [[Wi-Fi]] networking. It usually consists of two pieces of [[software]]: [[Device driver|device drivers]], and applications for configuration and management.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Roy |first=Priya |last2=Chowdhury |first2=Chandreyee |date=2022-09-01 |title=A survey on ubiquitous WiFi-based indoor localization system for smartphone users from implementation perspectives |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s42486-022-00089-3 |journal=CCF Transactions on Pervasive Computing and Interaction |language=en |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=298–318 |doi=10.1007/s42486-022-00089-3 |issn=2524-5228 |pmc=8785038}}</ref>

Driver support is typically provided by manufacturers of the [[chipset]] hardware or end manufacturers. Also available are [[Unix]] clones such as [[Linux]] also provide support, sometimesoften through open-source projects.

'''Operating system Wi-Fi support''' is defined as the facilities an operating system may include for [[Wi-Fi]] networking. It usually consists of two pieces of software: [[Device driver|device drivers]] and applications for configuration and management.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Roy |first=Priya |last2=Chowdhury |first2=Chandreyee |date=2022-09-01 |title=A survey on ubiquitous WiFi-based indoor localization system for smartphone users from implementation perspectives |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s42486-022-00089-3 |journal=CCF Transactions on Pervasive Computing and Interaction |language=en |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=298–318 |doi=10.1007/s42486-022-00089-3 |issn=2524-5228 |pmc=8785038}}</ref>

Driver support is typically provided by manufacturers of the [[chipset]] hardware or end manufacturers. Also available are Unix clones such as Linux, sometimes through open-source projects.

Configuration and management support consists of software to enumerate, join, and check the status of available Wi-Fi networks. This also includes support for various encryption methods. These systems are often provided by the operating system backed by a standard driver model. In most cases, drivers emulate an [[Ethernet]] device and use the configuration and management utilities built into the operating system. In cases where built-in configuration and management support is non-existent or inadequate, hardware manufacturers may include software to handle those tasks.

==Microsoft Windows==

[[Microsoft Windows]] has comprehensive driver-level support for Wi-Fi, the quality of which depends on the hardware manufacturer. Hardware manufacturers almost always ship Windows drivers with their products. Windows ships with very few Wi-Fi drivers and depends on the [[original equipment manufacturer]]s (OEMs) and device manufacturers to make sure users get drivers. Configuration and management depend on the version of Windows.

*Earlier versions of Windows, such as [[Windows 98|98]], [[Windows Me|ME]], and [[Windows 2000|2000]] do not have built-in configuration and management support and must depend on software provided by the manufacturer.

*[[Microsoft Windows XP]] has built-in configuration and management support. The original shipping version of Windows XP included rudimentary support which was dramatically improved in Service Pack 2. Support for [[WPA2]] and some other security protocols require updates from Microsoft. Many hardware manufacturers include their software and require the user to disable Windows’ built-in Wi-Fi support.

* [[Windows Vista]], [[Windows 7]], [[Windows 8]], [[Windows 10]], and [[Windows 1011]] have improved Wi-Fi support over Windows XP with a better interface and aenhanced suggestionfeatures. toWindows connect10 toand alater publicinclude native support for [[Wi-Fi when6]] and [[WPA3]], though some older nohardware othermay connectionrequire isdriver availableupdates.<ref>{{Cite web |title =Faster and more secure Wi-Fi Sensein FAQWindows - WindowsMicrosoft Support Help|url = httphttps://windowssupport.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/faster-and-more-secure-wi-fi-sensein-faq|websitewindows-26177a28-38ed-1a8e-7eca-66f24dc63f09 |access-date=2025-06-15 windows|website=support.microsoft.com|accessdate = 2015-10-20}}</ref>

==macOS and Classic Mac OS==

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Apple was an early adopter of Wi-Fi, introducing its [[AirPort]] product line, based on the 802.11b standard, in July 1999. Apple later introduced AirPort Extreme, an implementation of 802.11g. All Apple computers, starting with the original [[iBook]] in 1999, either included AirPort 802.11 networking or were designed specifically to provide 802.11 networking with only the addition of the internal AirPort Card (or, later, an AirPort Extreme Card), connecting to the computer's built-in antennae. All Intel-based Macs either come with built-in AirPort Extreme or a slot for an AirPort card, and all portable Macs (all MacBooks and the earlier iBooks and PowerBooks) have included Wi-Fi for several years. In late 2006, Apple began shipping Macs with [[Broadcom]] Wi-Fi chips that also supported the Draft [[802.11n]] standard, but this capability was disabled and Apple did not claim or advertise the hardware's capability until some time later when the draft had progressed further. At the January 2007 [[Macworld Expo]], Apple announced that their computers would begin shipping with Draft 802.11n support. SystemsModern shipped with this hidden capability can easily be unlocked through software, but due to the accounting requirementsversions of [[Sarbanes-OxleymacOS]], Applesuch cannotas freely[[macOS add features to already-sold hardwareVentura]] and so[[macOS mustSonoma]], nominallyinclude sellsupport an upgrade. This "upgrade" is included in the price of anfor [[AirPortWi-Fi Extreme Base Station6]] for all computers owned by the purchaser, and Apple[[WPA3]] sellson thecompatible "upgrade" separately (as the "AirPort Extreme 802hardware.11n EnablerApple forintegrates Mac")Wi-Fi forfunctionality aboutdeeply US$2with inits theecosystem United States and at similar prices elsewherefeatures.

Apple produces the operating system, the computer hardware, the accompanying drivers, AirPort Wi-Fi base stations, and configuration and management software, simplifying Wi-Fi integration, set-up, and maintenance (including security updates). The built-in configuration and management are integrated throughout many of the operating system's applications and utilities. [[Mac OS X]] has Wi-Fi support, including WPA2, and ships with drivers for all of Apple's current and past AirPort Extreme and AirPort cards. ManyMacOS third-partyalso manufacturerssupports makeextending compatiblethis hardwarefunctionality alongthrough withexternal the appropriate drivers that work with Mac OS X's builtthird-inparty configuration and management software. Other manufacturers distribute their softwarehardware.

Apple's older [[Mac OS 9]] supported AirPort and AirPort Extreme as well, and drivers exist for other equipment from other manufacturers, providing Wi-Fi options for earlier systems not designed for AirPort cards. Versions of Mac OS before Mac OS 9 predate Wi-Fi and do not have any Wi-Fi support, although some third-party hardware manufacturers have made drivers and connection software that allow earlier OSesversions to use Wi-Fi.<!-- The above tag does not apply here --><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.penmachine.com/techie/airport1400.html |title=Wirelessly Networking a PowerBook 1400 or Other Old Apple Laptop: Step By Step |accessdate=2007-08-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614041918/http://www.penmachine.com/techie/airport1400.html |archive-date=2019-06-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Open-source Unix-like systems==

Linux, FreeBSD and similar [[Unix-like]] clones have much coarser support for Wi-Fi. Due to the [[Open-source software|open source]] nature of these operating systems,{{Citation needed|reason="would dozens of closed-source vendors have used one single management tools?"|date=February 2010}},

many different standards have been developed for configuring and managing Wi-Fi devices. The open source nature also fosters open source drivers which have enabled many third party and proprietary devices to work under these operating systems. See [[Comparison of Open Source Wireless Drivers]] for more information on those drivers.

*[[Linux]] has patchyoptional Wi-Fi support, but this is not a requirement.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.techworld.com/applications/news/index.cfm?newsID=5922&pagtype=samechan |title=Move to push Wi-Fi into Linux kernel |publisher=Techworld |date=May 3, 2006 |accessdate=2007-08-31}}</ref> This is especially true for older kernel versions, such as the [[Linux kernel#Releases 2.6.x.y|2.6 series]]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-05-29|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Linux kernel#Releases 2.6.x.y|reason= The anchor (Releases 2.6.x.y) [[Special:Diff/925970978|has been deleted]].}}, which is still widely used by enterprise distributions. Native drivers for many Wi-Fi chipsets are available either commercially or at no cost,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/ |title=Wireless LAN resources for Linux |author=Jean Tourrilhes |date=July 25, 2007 |accessdate=2007-08-31 |archive-date=2011-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101184027/http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> although some manufacturers don't produce a Linux driver, only a Windows one. Consequently, many popular chipsets either don't have a native Linux driver at all, or only have a half-finished one. For these, the freely available [[NdisWrapper]] and its commercial competitor DriverLoader allow Windows [[x86]] and 64 bit variants [[Network Driver Interface Specification|NDIS]] drivers to be used on x86-based Linux systems and 86_64 architectures as of January 6, 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=Driverloader for Wireless LAN Devices|url=http://www.linuxant.com/driverloader/|publisher=linuxant.com|accessdate=2008-02-08}}</ref> As well as the lack of native drivers, some Linux distributions do not offer a convenient user interface and configuring Wi-Fi on them can be a clumsy and complicated operation compared to configuring wired Ethernet drivers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.linuxhomenetworking.com/wiki/index.php/Quick_HOWTO_:_Ch13_:_Linux_Wireless_Networking |title=Quick HOWTO : Ch13 : Linux Wireless Networking |publisher=Linux home networking |accessdate=2007-08-31}}</ref> This is changing with the adoption of utilities such as [[NetworkManager]] and [[Wicd (Linux Network Manager)|wicd]] that allow users to automatically switch between networks, without root access or command-line invocation of the traditional [[Wireless tools for Linux|wireless tools]]. But someCertain distributions, includesuch aas large[[Ubuntu]], numberprovide ofextensive preinstalled driversdriver support. Linux has improved Wi-Fi support in recent years, likewith modern kernels (5.15+) including better support for chipsets from [[UbuntuIntel]], (operating[[Qualcomm]], system)|Ubuntuand [[MediaTek]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Networking — The Linux Kernel documentation |url=https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/networking/index.html |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.kernel.org}}</ref>

*[[FreeBSD]] has Wi-Fi support similar to Linux. FreeBSD 7.0 introduced full support for [[Wi-Fi Protected Access|WPA]] and [[802.11i|WPA2]], although in some cases this is driver dependent. FreeBSD comes with drivers for many wireless cards and chipsets, including those made by [[Atheros]], [[Intel]] [[Centrino]], [[Ralink]], [[Cisco]], [[D-link]], and [[Netgear]], and provides support for others through the [[ports collection]]. FreeBSD also has "Project Evil", which provides the ability to use Windows x86 [[Network Driver Interface Specification|NDIS]] drivers on x86-based FreeBSD systems as NdisWrapper does on Linux, and Windows amd64 NDIS drivers on amd64-based systems.

*[[NetBSD]], [[OpenBSD]], and [[DragonFly BSD]] have Wi-Fi support similar to FreeBSD. Code for some of the drivers, as well as the kernel framework to support them, is mostly shared among the 4 BSDs.

*[[Haiku (operating system)|Haiku]] has had preliminary Wi-Fi support since September 2009.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://dev.osdrawer.net/news/32 |title=Haiku Wi-Fi support&nbsp;— Call for testers |publisher=Colin Günther |date=September 14, 2009 |accessdate=2009-10-11}}</ref>

*[[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]] and [[OpenSolaris]] have the Wireless Networking Project to provide Wi-Fi drivers and support.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://opensolaris.org/os/community/laptop/wireless/ |title=Wireless Networking for OpenSolaris |publisher=Sun Microsystems |date=March 10, 2008 |accessdate=2008-03-10 |archive-date=2005-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051023003138/http://opensolaris.org/os/community/laptop/wireless/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

*[[Android (operating system)|Android]] has built in support for WiFi, with it being preferred over [[mobile telephony]] networks.

*[[Unison OS (operating system)|Unison OS]] has built in support for embedded WiFi for a broad set of modules, with it being preferred over mobile telephony networks (which also have off the shelf support). Mixed WiFi and Bluetooth for embedded systems is also provided.

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==External links==

{{wikibooks|Nets, Webs and the Information Infrastructure}}

* [http://www.wi-fi.org Wi-Fi Alliance] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007005125/http://www.wi-fi.org/wifi-protected-setup |date=2009-10-07 }}

[[Category:IEEE 802.11]]