n, delays, and losses. New standards such as 802. lle are specifically designed to introduce these capabilities. Lack of security-WLANs, by their very nature, pose a higher security threat than their wired network counterparts. The original Wi-Fi specifica- tions are infamous for their lax security mechanisms, but 802. lli improves the situation substantially. WLANs are being set up by all sorts of groups, from grassroots organizations to powerful retailers, hospitality organizations, and transportation enterprises-all focused on the benefits of allowing their constituents the opportunity to get on the Internet by sharing local connections. What is the motivation for them to imple- ment and market WLAN services? For small entrepreneurs and technology lovers, doing so supports the dream of doing something positive in the development and Chapter 15 WMANs, WLANs, and WPANs deployment of communications technology required by the average citizen. For large business enterprises, doing so creates an opportunity to grow customer loy- alty, an all-important objective today, and also provides a venue for generating new revenues-not just from the subscription to the network service or usage fees, but also because clients are likely to spend more time in the establishment working on e-mails and Web surfing and thus likely to buy more of the core product, whether it is another cup of coffee or another order of fries. IEEE 802.11x Standards WLANs encompass a number of different standards, but the most important are those from the IEEE 802.11 Working Group. The 802.11 Working Group comprises many individual task groups charged with developing various aspects of WLAN stan- dards, referenced as 802.11x, with X denoting the specific task group and its objec- tive. (The X does not, in this case, indicate the name of a specific protocol.) This section focuses primarily on the standards that are essential to your knowledge of WLANs, but you should have a general feel for what each specifica- tion addresses, so Table 15.5 gives a quic