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I have read that we only need a special software(driver) in order to support WiFi Direct in a specific operating system, that is to say, we don't need buying new network interfaces, so the key is the software.

Assuming that it's true, I want to know What are the operating systems that have support for WiFi Direct? I know that Android has support, but I want to know about others operating systems

Like a open source enthusiastic, I would like reading that Linux has support for Wifi Direct, but doesn't matter if Windows has support :D

Greetings from Mexico

Raúl Omaña
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I'm pretty sure that wifi direct requires hardware to be certified... Possibly a small addition to the MAC layer specification to support new functionality, but don't have the exact details.

Anyway - a bunch of modern wifi chipsets are certified now... so if you have a modern computer you should be ale to find out if the chipset is compliant and if the chipset manufacturer has drivers and software.

I can confirm that my HP elitebook 8460p running win7 x64 is able to download and install the intel wifi direct drivers and management software for its chipset.

Julian Higginson
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  • Ok, but somebody can tell me if there are others O.S.? – Raúl Omaña Oct 19 '12 at 05:50
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    WiFi direct doesn't require specialized hardware. Any standard WiFi NIC can support WiFi direct with proper driver and firmware. Upper software layers can be provided either by the OS or by device vendor. – SomeWittyUsername Oct 21 '12 at 22:21
  • @icepack is it similar to [Windows Hosted Network](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd815243(v=vs.85).aspx)? – Milind R Nov 04 '14 at 14:02
  • @MilindR No, Hosted network is basically a software based AP. WiFi Direct is a P2P protocol, i.e., enables traffic between 2 clients without physical AP in the middle. Typically, the protocol will utilize software based AP for its implementation, but it's definitely not the same. – SomeWittyUsername Nov 04 '14 at 14:11
  • @icepack Can you elaborate? I can't find any documentation detailing the difference – Milind R Nov 09 '14 at 17:11
  • @MilindR You won't find any documentation detailing the difference because these two things aren't directly comparable. I've depicted the loose correlation that exists between them but that's it. If you want more details, read the specification of hosted network and the specification of WiFi Direct. – SomeWittyUsername Nov 10 '14 at 12:02