What Does Wi-Fi Multimedia Mean?
Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) is a subset of the IEEE 802.11e standard for wireless LAN applications. It is used to define and optimize Wi-Fi signal quality and performance by prioritizing Wi-Fi network traffic when multiple concurrent applications compete for network resources. WMM does not guarantee throughput.
WMM is also known as Wireless Multimedia Extension (WME).
Techopedia Explains Wi-Fi Multimedia
Wi-Fi traffic access is prioritized according to the following categories from highest to lowest:
Voice: Uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), lowest latency and highest quality
Video: Supports standard and high-definition television (SDTV/HDTV) signals via a wireless local area network (WLAN)
Best effort: Data packets from devices and applications that lack quality of service (QoS) standards
Background: File downloads, printing and other signals not degraded by latency
The Wi-Fi Alliance – a trade association that promotes WLAN technology and oversees interoperability performance standards – added the Power Save certification to WMM to fine-tune the power consumption of critical applications used by mobile phones and other battery-driven devices. Power Save triggers the release of queued buffered data at regular intervals from the access point, or WLAN signal transmission point, such as a wireless router, which conserves power and allows continuous data transmission on Wi-Fi devices in low-power states.
