Smartphones with wi fi direct. Modern communication technology between Wi-Fi Direct devices. From Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi Direct

Surely, many are interested in learning about such technology as Wi-Fi Direct, namely how it works and where this concept is used today.

Definition

Wi-Fi Direct is a feature of Wi-Fi, a standard that allows devices to connect easily.

With this technology, Wi-Fi becomes a way to communicate wirelessly, similar to Bluetooth.

Due to the fact that the technology can be present in almost every device (for example, a smartphone, camera, printer, PC, etc.), this simplifies the work of many people, since there is nothing easier than connecting devices or transferring files via Direct.

Products that have the technology can connect to each other without connecting to a home or office network or other hotspot.

Devices can establish a connection one-to-one, or in a group of several devices that can connect simultaneously. A suite of additional services allows devices to send files, print documents, play media, and share screens between devices. This technology enables innovative development of new applications that leverage direct device connections.

Devices that support Wi-Fi Direct can be used for all types of applications - for sending files, synchronizing data, communicating, playing games, playing audio and video, etc. – in other words, almost everything you do with your devices over Wi-Fi, only easier and without the worry of detecting an Internet connection.

Devices with technology can create connections with almost every device you own.

To create a connection, you only need one Wi-Fi Direct-enabled device.

You can connect devices anywhere, anytime, even if there is no access to a Wi-Fi network. The devices send a signal to other devices around them, letting them know that a connection can be made. Users can view available devices and request a connection or be prompted to connect to another device.

Where is it used?

There are quite a lot of devices with Wi-Fi Direct.

Here are just a few of them:

• smartphones and tablets;
• printers;
• cameras;
• TVs;
• players;
• computers;
• keyboards, mice and other peripherals.

This technology has become very widespread due to its ease of use. Even a novice user has the opportunity to use it. Now, as an example, we will look at how Wi-Fi Direct is configured on a smartphone.

A little history

The standard we are considering was developed by WECA several years ago. This company is actively involved in all kinds of technologies related to Wi-Fi.

After developing a full-fledged standard that allows the Internet to be transmitted over the air, creating technology for transferring data between devices was a logical step.

To do this, it was necessary to come up with something that would allow using Wi-Fi without routers and routers.

Therefore, they came up with a chip that is placed inside a smartphone, tablet or other device. It is, in fact, a mini-router.

In general, WECA is an alliance of the largest Wi-Fi equipment manufacturers.

Initially it included the following organizations:

• 3Com;
• Cisco, which was then called Aironet;
• Intersil (aka Harris Semiconductor);
• Agere (aka Lucent);
• Nokia;
• Symbol Technologies.

Most of them still belong to the alliance. They support all developments, including the development of Direct.

On Android

To use this technology on a phone with the Android operating system, you need to do this:

• Open Wi-Fi settings. Usually there is a corresponding menu item for this in the settings. Turn on Wi-Fi using the switch.

• At the top right there will be a button called “Wi-Fi Direct”. Tap on it. Actually, the presence of this button allows you to determine whether this function is even available on your smartphone. If it is not there, you can look in other sections of the settings, but most likely the function is simply missing.

• For data transfer do the same on another device– where are you going to send something?
• Now go to your file manager (the program where you see your files and folders). Go to the functions of the file you want to transfer. To do this, sometimes you just need to hold it down or hold it to select it, and then click on the three dots button. There will be a “Send via” option. Live on it.

• Next you will be asked exactly how you want to perform this action. Among all the methods, find “Wi-Fi Direct”.

• Select the device where you will transfer data. A prompt will appear on the other device and the user must accept it.

In fact, the method of use is exactly the same as in Bluetooth. This technology has been known for a very long time and many have used it. Surely you too. Therefore, you can easily figure out how to use Direct.

If something doesn't work out

Many users will not be able to perform the steps described above for the simple reason that their device does not have Direct.

In general, this function may be present thanks to the chip, just like Bluetooth.

If it is not on your smartphone, laptop or anywhere else, then it is simply impossible to configure the function.

Most likely, you use Wi-Fi every day at home or in a cafe; many people use this technology, or Bluetooth (sometimes just a necessary type of connection for a couple of devices). What if we take the best from them and combine them? It turns out that this is implemented in Wi-Fi Direct. This article will tell you what Wi-fi Direct is and how this technology works.

From Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi Direct

Most likely, everyone already knows what Wi-Fi is, if not the technical aspects, then at a subconscious level for sure. This wireless communication technology has a wide range of applications, but the most used is Internet access.

Everyday use of Wi-Fi involves connecting to a router to access the Internet. A router is a physical device that creates an access point, the existence of which can be verified on your smartphone or computer in the list of available connections. When connecting to the network, you need to enter a password and everything is ready, access to the network is obtained.

From the history of Wi-Fi Direct

Wireless data transfer of nearby devices, without the use of third-party equipment, is not new for a long time. One of the first and most widespread solutions was the introduction of Bluetooth, which appeared in 1998. Bluetooth is a wireless communication standard for connecting peripheral devices to a computer (wireless mice and keyboards) or telephone (headsets). Such devices do not require fast data transfer. Bluetooth is not a high-speed communication technology by today's standards, and there are also connection problems. Read what Bluetooth is and how it works.

The difference between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is that this connection has high speed and easier setup. It is because of these qualities of Wi-Fi that Wi-Fi Direct is a technology for fast and wireless communication and file transfer between different devices.

The first major company to use Wi-Fi Direct was Intel. They introduced the new standard in 2008 in the Centrino 2 platform. Two years later, in October 2010, major market players in the networking industry: Marvell, Atheros, Broadcom, Ralink and Realtek, began releasing their products. It is quite possible that your computer also has a Wi-Fi adapter from one of these manufacturers.

Google's Android OS product received direct support for Wi-Fi Direct from version 4.0, and Xbox one in 2013. The Windows family has supported the standard since Windows 8 on PCs.

Wi-Fi Direct, how does it work?

The main idea when developing Wi-Fi Direct was ease of setup, the ability to support it with all types of devices at a data transfer speed equal to the usual Wi-Fi.

It works quite simply: one device is detected by another, in exactly the same way as it detected a wireless network, it connects and the devices are connected. There is no need to adjust visibility, use long numbers or put up with problems f. Another advantage is that only one of the connected devices needs to support Wi-Fi Direct.

When two devices are connected using Wi-Fi Direct, one of them creates an access point, like a router, and the other device connects to it. The capabilities depend on the connected device: you can print to a wireless printer, the photo frame can receive and use photos, send files from your computer to your phone, or play music and movies on your TV. Often an Android device is used to distribute mobile Internet to other devices, but it won’t be possible to connect to a Wi-Fi network at the same time, because the device is already used as an access point. A positive feature of Wi-Fi Direct is that there are no passwords; the connection is encrypted by WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup).

Now you know what Wi-Fi Direct is, and with easy installation, long range and high data transfer speeds, Wi-Fi Direct has an edge over Bluetooth in wireless data transfer. Perhaps in the future Wi-Fi Direct will be able to replace Bluetooth, because it simultaneously eliminates both the unnecessary standard and the hardware inside the device. This technology is newer, and replacing one standard with another can take quite a long time.

Ilya 107503

In this article we will tell you how to connect your phone to a Sony Bravia TV via Wifi, how to duplicate the display, as well as about the Wi-Fi Direct and Miracast technologies themselves. Modern Sony TVs have many useful options that significantly expand their functionality. This is also the ability to display images from smartphones “over the air”, without the need for wires - watch photos, videos, listen to music on a large display, use your smartphone as a control panel and much more. But to take full advantage of these features, it is important to make the correct settings.

How to connect your phone to a Sony Bravia TV via Wifi is described in the operating instructions. But, despite the detailed instructions, many users encounter various difficulties during the installation process. For example, what to do if your smartphone is controlled not by Android, but by iOS, or what to do if your phone doesn’t have Direct, where can you find the access code for WiF-i on TV, or why did you follow the instructions and nothing happens? We will also examine these questions in this article.

About technology

Wi-Fi-Direct is an option that allows you to combine mobile gadgets and TV into a single network over the air, bypassing a wired connection via a LAN or the World Wide Web. To connect them, there is no need to use additional equipment and consumables (such as routers, modems, cables, signal splitters and other telecommunications equipment). In this case, the channel throughput is identical to the throughput of 802.11 devices. In other words, the data exchange speed is the same as when using regular Wi-Fi.

Miracast is a new standard for wireless video transmission. It is based on Direct, but in comparison with it, the technology in question has a number of improvements and differences. When creating Miracast, the developers sought to simplify the process of organizing communication as much as possible. And they succeeded perfectly. Any owner of a smartphone, tablet, laptop or any other mobile gadget with Miracast support can play games on a tablet or smartphone and display images on a large screen, display photos, and multimedia content. The TV will display everything that happens on the gadget’s display. And all this “over the air”, without wires and with just a few touches.

How to set up Wi-Fi on a Sony Bravia TV

Activating Wi-Fi.Direct on TV is easy. To do this, you need to enable the “Built in Wi-Fi” checkbox, and then Wi-Fi-Dir ect.

You can do this as follows:

1. Pick up the remote control, find the HOME button on it and click on it. Pay attention! Some users are faced with the fact that after performing this action the TV freezes and nothing happens. In this case, you need to perform a power reset or reboot and then try again. If this does not help, try disconnecting all devices from the TV and performing a factory reset.
2. Next, you need to go to the “Advanced settings” interface. To do this, follow this path: Settings – NETWORK&ACCESSORIES – NETWORK – Advanced settings.
3. On the “built-in WiFi” tab Built-in.Wi-Fi, put the icon in the On field.
4. Also set the Wi-Fi.Direct box to On. Many users are also interested in how to find out the Wifi Direct password on a Sony Bravia TV. This can be done in the same menu in the Show Network (SSID)/Password dialog. When you click on the TV screen, a window will appear with the name of the network and the secret code. This data is subsequently entered manually when debugging the Wi-Fi of the connected mobile device. If the connection was established successfully, a notification about this will appear on the TV receiver monitor.

Now you know how to connect Wi-Fi to a Sony Bravia TV. Immediately after carrying out the steps described above, the TV goes into synchronization mode and waits for binding. Here you can also set synchronization confirmation when trying to communicate with an unfamiliar device: on the remote control, click on the “Options” button and turn on the “Registration notification” item.

How to connect an iPhone to a Sony Bravia TV via Wi-Fi

1. Activate Wi-Fi Direct on TV using the instructions above.
2. Go to your iPhone settings and select Wi.Fi, then Dir-ect-xx-BRAVIA.
3. In the window that opens, enter the WPA key displayed on the TV receiver display and click Join.
4. Wait while pairing between devices is established. This may take a few minutes.
5. After this, the settings window will be displayed. If there is a mark for the SSID on the iPhone side, and a dash on the Sony Bravia side, it means the docking has been established.

If the connection is not established, try again, first making sure that the password is entered correctly.

Duplicate iPhone screen on Sony Bravia TV

Unfortunately, not all game and application developers provide AirPlay support for their products, which means that not all streaming videos from applications or the Web are displayed on TV. You can get around this problem by duplicating the content from the iPhone display to the TV screen. To do this, swipe up on the display, expand Control Center, and select AirPlay, then AppleTV.

How to connect your phone to a Sony Bravia TV

Now let's look at the features of connecting devices running Android OS to Sony TV.

As with the iPhone, the first step is to go to the device settings. In it, find the WI-Fi menu and turn on the module, then click on the three dots, then on Wi-Fi-Direct.

After activating the Wi-Fi-.Direct button, the gadget will begin searching for suitable devices. This will take some time. Upon completion, you will be presented with a list of all gadgets available for communication. Select the SSID of your home theater from this list and enter Password. A request to connect a new device will appear on the TV screen. Click "Ok". Next, the TV receiver performs synchronization and then displays a message about successful pairing.

Don’t forget that you can synchronize no more than ten external gadgets with TV via Wi-Fi Direct. To view the list of gadgets working on your home network, you need to go to the Direct debugging menu on your TV, then press the “Options” button on the remote control and select “Display list of devices.” If you want to delete any of the connections, click on the button located in the center of the remote control. The “Are you sure you want to remove from the list” dialog box will appear. Using the arrows on the remote control, move to the word “Yes”, then click on the central button.

How to connect the Internet to a Sony Bravia TV via Wi-Fi if the phone does not have direct? It's simple. On the TV, go to the Wi-Fi-Direct debugging mode, press the “Options” key on the control panel and select “Manual”. In the window that opens, select “Other methods”. A window will appear on the monitor displaying the name of the network and the password required to log in. This name must be found in the Wi-Fi settings menu of the smartphone and written Password.

How to mirror your phone screen to a Sony Bravia TV

You can install Screen Mirroring only if Miracast technology is supported by both the television receiver and the mobile device. As already noted, a characteristic feature of Miracast is the simplification of technology. And here everything is really very simple.

Depending on the Android version and smartphone model, the steps may differ slightly. In version Android 6.0, to do this, go to settings - “networks and communications” - “wireless display”. Activate the mode. The smartphone will begin searching for available equipment, after which your TV will appear in the list. Click on it - the contact will be automatically established, and an image from your mobile device will appear on the TV screen.

If the connection was not established automatically, do the following: click on the “Input” switch, which is located on the control panel, then “duplicate”, then turn on the wireless display from your smartphone.

Tell friends

Every year more and more new technologies appear that are designed to improve and make our lives easier. One of them is WiFi Direct. What this is will become clear if we take a closer look at the technology itself and the principle of its operation. Devices that support this method of communication are capable of transmitting data at high speeds - up to 250 megabits per second, and over a fairly long distance - up to 200 meters. And network reliability is ensured by a higher degree of channel protection. To build a network on such a basis, there is simply no need for a router.

Main Features

It's worth taking a closer look at WiFi Direct. What is this? This is a new standard for information transfer that allows several gadgets to connect to each other without using a router or other network device. It is not necessary for a person to participate in this process, since the devices can automatically detect each other. So far this is not even a standard, but a certification. Currently, two devices can only connect wirelessly using a router as an intermediate link. However, a router is no longer required if you use WiFi Direct. What it is and how this method works is discussed here.

This method allows you to connect several gadgets at the same time. In addition to devices such as standard laptops, smartphones and phones, you can connect digital photo frames, scanners, printers, video recorders, etc. to the network, and the main condition here is the presence of an appropriate chip.

How was it before?

Home networks have already undergone the introduction of similar services and protocols several times. Among those currently existing, WiFi Direct is considered the most promising development, which has only one obstacle to development - consumer reaction.

Some people have the opinion that this standard will soon completely replace the well-known Bluetooth, which is quite popular at the moment. So, if we consider WiFi Direct, what it is will become clear after determining the advantages of such a solution in comparison with traditional Bluetooth. Here we can talk about a higher data transfer speed, increased distance, as well as reliable channel security. However, there are also disadvantages that are quite significant.

Features

WiFi Direct chips are worth considering. How to use this technology will become clear later. Elements can be one of two types: for the range of 2.4 gigahertz, 5 gigahertz, and simultaneously supporting both of these values.

The technology has a couple of useful capabilities: Device Discovery and Service Discovery. With their help, gadgets not only find each other and unite into a network without any human intervention, but also allow you to learn about the capabilities of each device. For example, if you need to transfer an audio file from a smartphone somewhere, then the list of receiving devices will only include those that are capable of receiving and using this type of data, and all others will simply be excluded from it. This allows the user not to scroll through the entire list presented in search of a suitable gadget, but only to select the desired one from those that are displayed.

Difference from other types

A regular WiFi network assumes the primacy of the access point, which controls all other devices. The WiDi network also has a coordinator, but this function is transferred from one device to another, depending on power, autonomy, and functionality. So, the list of preferences looks like this: laptops, tablets, smartphones, consoles, and after them come peripheral devices, for example, printers, audio systems, digital cameras and others.

Flaws

So now you understand what WiFi Direct is; how to use it is also no longer a question. It is worth understanding its shortcomings. They are the ones who question the development of technology and its popularity.

Main disadvantages

• Air clutter. When a wireless network is organized in the usual way, all devices are connected to one access point. In this sense, we can talk about a big difference between WiFi Direct. How to set up such a network? Quite simple. Here we can talk about the simultaneous creation and operation of several networks in which gadgets communicate with each other, transferring data. This leads to the fact that, for example, several dozen or hundreds of networks will operate in a multi-story building, creating a real mess on the air, since they all broadcast with different powers and frequencies. Such networks cannot be controlled, which is why they create real clutter on the airwaves.
• Poor network security. Although manufacturers of WiFi Direct Android devices talk about the better security of such networks compared to Bluetooth, in reality everything is different. As long as such a gadget is used exclusively on a home network, we can talk about its security, but as soon as you bring it to the company’s office, where it begins to find other devices and connect with them, a problem already arises. The WiFi Direct network for Windows can be used as a proxy, with the help of which data will be received from any of the devices on the network, and even corporate information. It will be difficult for any specialist to monitor all the networks created by such a device, which will gradually lead to a ban on this standard in enterprises. As a result, it may remain popular only for home use, or disappear altogether.
• High energy intensity. On the one hand, it can be used to transmit large amounts of data over long distances and at high speeds. However, modern gadgets run out of charge so quickly that this additional load may well become a burden.
• Increased range of such technology is not always an advantage. Your network can be hacked from a long distance, it can be penetrated and used against you.
• Using WiFi Direct requires the use of a special chip, since simple WiFi is not suitable for these purposes. At the moment, there are gadgets that are equipped with both chips, but there are not very many of them.

Conclusions

The main inconvenience of introducing such technology is that its support is provided by a separate chip that differs from traditional WiFi. And since not many manufacturers currently include such modules in their devices, users will not want to purchase new gadgets to use this technology.

There are many terms that are not clear to ordinary users, which is why it is worth understanding each of them. You may be wondering what WiFi Direct is. This technology was announced quite a long time ago, it was intended to simplify the establishment of communication between a pair of separate Wi-Fi devices. In a sense, it's Bluetooth powered by Wi-Fi. It differs from the first in greater speed and distances, and from the second in ease of setup and safety. And everything seems fine, but it’s worth really looking into it.

A little history

To understand what WiFi Direct is, we need to take a look at the past. To organize wireless communication of consumer devices, Bluetooth was directly used, which is quite simple, has a short range, low cost and quite reasonable energy requirements. Nowadays, when smartphones have almost caught up with computers in terms of performance, we want something more. And here it is worth noting that there is Wi-Fi, which works faster and has a longer range, but there is an important nuance.

The original idea was that Wi-Fi can operate in two modes: direct, when several devices organize a simple mode, and infrastructure, which involves the use of an access point, which is a kind of traffic arbiter. The second option developed and moved forward over time, but the first one was simply stuck in the nineties: now it is not supported by all household devices, it is characterized by low operating speed, and also insecurity. That is, it is dangerous, inconvenient and completely unusable, so modern Wi-Fi simply cannot do without an access point.

How are things going now?

Manufacturers of household Wi-Fi want to simplify the life of modern users so much that home access points currently have almost no settings, and many of them work directly out of the box at default. Many users simply do not know how to turn on WiFi. It is this factor that has allowed the emergence of a huge number of free Wi-Fi from the best Internet providers. This became the reason for such a strong popularization of Wi-Fi, but at the same time it gave rise to many myths about the insecurity of such connections. All of the above has led to vendors' priorities changing in favor of a simple and secure wireless network. This is where the question of what WiFi Direct is arises.

Peculiarities

This connection method has numerous advantages:

Secure direct connection between devices, established similarly to Bluetooth, that is, you just need to select the appropriate element from the list, without thinking about PSK and SSID;

The speed of such networks is much faster than traditional Bluetooth;

A significantly greater distance between devices is allowed;

A high degree of reliability and security is guaranteed by constantly running WPA2, which cannot be disabled.

Implementation

So, what WiFi Direct is becomes clear; all that remains is to sort out the issues related to the intricacies of providing such access. Adoption of a new amendment to the 802.11 standard will take several years. It was decided to contrive within the framework of the specifications and standards available at the moment.

WiFi is fast. Therefore, WiFi Direct technology was adopted to quickly transfer data between two devices, and it is even much easier to enable, configure and use and can be used for a wireless connection.

The first company to introduce support for WiFi Direct was Intel: they introduced the first standard, the Centrino 2 platform, in 2008.

Then, two years later, several major players in the networking industry followed suit, such as Marvell, Atheros, Broadcom, Realtek Ralind. It is possible that your laptop's Wi-Fi is from one of these manufacturers.

Google also added support for WiFi Direct on Android 4.0. Blackberry OS received an update to version 10.2, and the first to support WiFi Direct Xbox was the Xbox One, launched in 2013.

Note: Some people make the mistake of WiFi Direct wireless connections by confusing it with Ad-Hoc.

This connection connects two computers using WiFi, but its speed is limited to 11 Mbit.

How Wi-Fi Direct works

The most important principles behind the WiFi Direct standard are very simple. The mode of operation is as follows: the device detects another, as if opening a wireless network. Then enter the password or press the button and you're done, the equipment is connected.

There is no need to set visibility, just enter a numeric key, just like Bluetooth technology.

Additionally, only one of the two connected devices must support Wi-Fi Direct.

To connect two devices via Wi-Fi Direct, one must create an access point, like a router, and the other device connects to that access point. This process happens automatically, there is no need to do anything manually.

You can print wirelessly and send photos from your phone to your computer, or play music on your TV from your tablet or smartphone.

As with modern routers, simply enter the number displayed on the screen or press the connect button.

With its simplified configuration and faster speeds, WiFi Direct is a much better option than Bluetooth when it comes to transferring files between two or more devices.

Benefiting from ease of installation and scope of application, SEA is a useful standard for connecting peripheral devices.

Some analysts are even predicting the end of the Bluetooth era, although the technology is new enough that it could still be years away. If you have any questions, please use the comments section below. Good luck.

The TV can be directly connected to a Wi-Fi Direct/Wi-Fi compatible device (such as a smartphone, computer) that also supports the “DLNA Push Controller” function. Device contents such as photos/music/videos can be played on the TV. No wireless router (or access point) is required to use this feature.

Steps

If the connection fails

When the standby screen for Wi-Fi Direct mode is displayed, press the OPTIONS button, then select [Manual].
If your device supports WPS, select. Otherwise, select [Other Methods] and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.

Connecting to another device

Follow the above steps to connect your devices. You can register up to 20 devices, and connect up to 5 devices at the same time. To connect another device when 5 devices are already connected, disconnect the unnecessary device, then connect the desired device.

Changing the TV name displayed on the connected device

When the standby screen for Wi-Fi Direct mode is displayed, press the OPTIONS button, then select [Edit Renderer Name].

Display a list of connected devices/unregister devices

When the standby screen for Wi-Fi Direct mode is displayed, press the OPTIONS button, then select [Show device list / Erase].

To unregister a device, select the device you want to remove from the list, then click the button. Then select [Yes] on the confirmation screen.

To deregister all devices, press the OPTIONS button in the list, select [Delete All], then [Yes] on the confirmation screen.

A dialog box appears when you try to connect your device to your TV

Activating this function allows you to avoid connecting an unnecessary device.

When the standby screen for Wi-Fi Direct mode is displayed, press the OPTIONS button, then select [Registration Notification].

Please note that after rejecting a device's registration request, the device will not be able to connect until it is removed from the device list.

To connect a rejected device, press the OPTIONS button, select [Show Device List/Erase], then delete the rejected device. Then make a new connection to this device.

Skip connection steps the second time

After you register your device by completing the following settings, you can immediately start playing content on your TV by sending content from your device (except for Wi-Fi Direct mode).

Press the HOME button, and then select [Settings] → [Network] → [Standby Mode for Wi-Fi Direct] → [On].

If the TV is connected to (or to an access point) on the 5 GHz frequency using a USB wireless LAN adapter, set [Standby mode for Wi-Fi Direct] to [Off].

• Wi-Fi is a mark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

• Wi-Fi Direct is a mark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

Notes

• If your TV is connected to a 5 GHz wireless router (access point) using a USB wireless LAN adapter:
• - The 5GHz connection will be disabled in Wi-Fi Direct mode and you will not be able to use functions such as Media Remote, TrackID™, etc.
• - the connection will be resumed when exiting Wi-Fi Direct mode.
• When connecting devices, the following must be taken into account:
• - Wi-Fi Direct enabled devices: 2.4 GHz connection (5 GHz not supported).
• - Devices that do not support Wi-Fi Direct: IEEE802.11n/g, 2.4 GHz connection (5 GHz not supported).