A hotspot is a special variant of the infrastructure mode described above. Whereas the normal infrastructure mode provides the members of a closed user group with access to a network that includes all the necessary services, a hotspot provides network access (generally restricted to Internet only) to wireless LAN clients at a fee. In addition to the differences in Access Point configuration, setting up a hotspot requires authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) functions such as those provided by e.g. Public Spot options Hotspots are generally set up at public locations where people have a short-term need to access the Internet, such as at airports, cafés or hotels.
A hotspot provides network access to a WLAN client for a limited time period and without having to configure the access point. This method is often used by companies, for example to provide guests with temporary Internet access.