For a wireless monitor to work, both the sender and receiver must have compatible wireless communication technologies. In a typical scenario, the computer processes the graphical data into networks packets and broadcasts them wirelessly. Then, the wireless monitor catches those signals using its native Wi-Fi technology, converts the network packets back to graphical data and displays them.

The wireless monitor was initially introduced by Intel Corporation in its WiDi product WiDi (wireless display). WiDi made it possible to transmit data from a computer or laptop to a TV using a WiDi TV adapter/router device that employs wireless signals or Wi-Fi technology.