WAP
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Wireless access point |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
WAP has two meanings. It stands for Wireless access point (networking) or Wireless Application Protocol (telecom).
Meanings of WAP at a glance
| # | WAP stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wireless access point | Technology & Computing › Networking |
| 2 | Wireless Application Protocol | Technology & Computing › Telecom |
1. Wireless access point
Technology & Computing · Networking Abbreviations
A networking device that provides a Wi-Fi network and connects wireless clients to a wired network; it is the same thing as an AP. Small businesses often add a WAP to an existing router to extend coverage into a warehouse or upstairs office.
Example: The WAP in the warehouse hangs from the ceiling and draws power from the switch.
On late-1990s and 2000s mobile phones, WAP meant Wireless Application Protocol, a stripped-down way of browsing on feature phones; that is a telecom meaning. Context separates the two: hardware shopping lists and network diagrams refer to the access point. Security courses also warn about "evil twin" WAPs set up to impersonate legitimate networks.
2. Wireless Application Protocol
Technology & Computing · Telecom Abbreviations
Late-1990s standard for accessing simplified web pages and services on mobile phones with tiny screens and slow connections, using a markup language called WML. It was the first mobile internet experience for many users.
Example: In 2001 I checked football scores on my phone's WAP browser, paying by the minute.
Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia and Unwired Planet founded the WAP Forum in 1997. Slow, expensive connections and limited content disappointed users, earning it the nickname "Wait And Pay". Smartphones with full web browsers made WAP obsolete. In networking, WAP more commonly means wireless access point.
Related abbreviations
More networking abbreviations
- VNC – Virtual Network Computing
- VPN – Virtual private network
- VXLAN – Virtual Extensible LAN
- WAN – Wide area network
- WEP – Wired Equivalent Privacy
- WLAN – Wireless local area network
- WPA – Wi-Fi Protected Access
- WPA2 – Wi-Fi Protected Access 2
See all 113 networking abbreviations →