A Wi-Fi-enabled device can connect to the Internet when within range of a wireless network which is configured to permit this. The coverage of one or more (interconnected) access points—called hotspots—can extend from an area as small as a few rooms to as large as many square miles. Coverage in the larger area may require a group of access points with overlapping coverage. Outdoor public Wi-Fi technology has been used successfully inwireless mesh networks in London, UK.
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Wi-Fi provides service in private homes, high street chains and independent businesses, as well as in public spaces at Wi-Fi hotspots set up either free-of-charge or commercially, often using a Captive portal webpage for access. Organizations and businesses, such as airports, hotels, and restaurants, often provide free-use hotspots to attract customers. Enthusiasts or authorities who wish to provide services or even to promote business in selected areas sometimes provide free Wi-Fi access.
Routers that incorporate a digital subscriber line modem or a cable modem and a Wi-Fi access point, often set up in homes and other buildings, provide Internet access and internetworking to all devices connected to them, wirelessly or via cable.
Similarly, there are battery-powered routers that include a cellular mobile Internet radiomodem and Wi-Fi access point. When subscribed to a cellular phone carrier, they allow nearby Wi-Fi stations to access the Internet over 2G, 3G, or 4G networks. Many smartphones have a built-in capability of this sort, including those based on Android, BlackBerry, Bada, iOS (iPhone), Windows Phone and Symbian, though carriers often disable the feature, or charge a separate fee to enable it, especially for customers with unlimited data plans. "Internet packs" provide standalone facilities of this type as well, without use of a smartphone; examples include the MiFi- and WiBro-branded devices. Some laptops that have a cellular modem card can also act as mobile Internet Wi-Fi access points.
Wi-Fi also connects places that normally don't have network access, such as kitchens and garden sheds.