<PAGE>   1
    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 4, 1999
                                                      Registration No. 333-
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        Under The Securities Act of 1933

                                  PROXIM, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

<TABLE>
<S>                                                       <C>
           Delaware                                            77-0059429
(State or other jurisdiction of                              (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)                           Identification Number)
</TABLE>

                               510 DeGuigne Drive
                               Sunnyvale, CA 94086
                                 (408) 731-2700
               (Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
       including area code, of Registrant's principal executive offices)

                          1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan
                            1994 Director Option Plan
                            (Full title of the plans)


                                 KEITH E. GLOVER
                           Chief Financial Officer and
                  Vice President of Finance and Administration
                                  PROXIM, INC.
                               510 DeGuigne Drive
                               Sunnyvale, CA 94086
                                 (408) 731-2700
           (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)


                                    Copy to:
                             JEFFREY D. SAPER, ESQ.
                        Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
                            Professional Corporation
                               650 Page Mill Road
                               Palo Alto, CA 94304
                                 (650) 493-9300

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

                                                                 Proposed        Proposed Maximum    Amount of
         Title of Each Class of              Amount to be    Maximum Offering        Aggregate      Registration
      Securities to be Registered             Registered    Price Per Share(1)    Offering Price       Fee(2)
================================================================================================================
<S>                                             <C>              <C>                <C>              <C>
Common Stock, $.001 par value, per share
  -  1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan              900,000          $47.5375           $42,693,750      $11,868.86
  -  1994 Director Option Plan                  100,000          $47.5375           $ 4,743,750      $ 1,318.76

         TOTAL                                1,000,000                             $47,437,500      $13,187.62
================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)  Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) of Regulation C solely for the purpose of
     calculating the registration fee. The proposed maximum aggregate offering
     price per share with respect to the 900,000 shares authorized and reserved
     for issuance under the 1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan and the 100,000 shares
     authorized and reserved under the 1994 Director Option Plan has been
     estimated to be the average of the high and low price reported in the
     Nasdaq National Market on September 30, 1999 (the "FMV").

(2)  Amount of Registration Fee was calculated pursuant to Section 6(b) of the
     Securities Act of 1933, which states that the fee shall be "$278 per $1
     million" of the maximum aggregate price at which such securities are
     proposed to be offered. The Registration Fee is therefore calculated by
     multiplying the aggregate offering or sales amount by 0.000278.

<PAGE>   2

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 3. Information Incorporated by Reference.

     There are hereby incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement
the following documents and information heretofore filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC"):

     (a)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the
year ended December 31, 1998.

     (b)  The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC for the
three months ended June 30, 1999.

     (c)  The description of the Registrant's Common Stock to be offered hereby
is contained in the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 21, 1993 pursuant to Section
12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), including any
amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

     All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14
and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Registration Statement and
prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing such
documents.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

     Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

     The validity of the issuance of shares of Common Stock offered hereby will
be passed upon by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation
("WSGR"), Palo Alto, California. Jeffrey D. Saper, a member of WSGR, is a
director and Secretary of the Registrant. As of the date of this Form S-8
Registration Statement, Mr. Saper beneficially owned 1,847 shares of
Registrant's Common Stock.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporations Law authorizes a court to
award, or a corporation's Board of Directors to grant, indemnification to
directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such
indemnification under certain conditions for liabilities (including
reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "Securities Act"). Article VI of the Company's Bylaws provides
for the mandatory indemnification of its directors, officers, employees and
other agents to the maximum extent permitted by Delaware General Corporation
Law, and the Company has


                                       2

<PAGE>   3

entered into agreements with its officers, directors and certain key employees
implementing such indemnification.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

     Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit Number
--------------
<S>               <C>
      5.1         Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., as to the
                  legality of securities being registered.

     10.1         1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended

     10.2         1994 Director Option Plan, as amended

     23.1         Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

     23.2         Consent of Counsel (included in Exhibit 5.1)

     24.1         Power of Attorney (see page 6)
</TABLE>

Item 9. Undertakings.

     (a)  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement to include any
material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such
information in the registration statement.

          (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

          (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

          (4)  That, for purposes of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to
Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each
filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of
the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.


                                       3

<PAGE>   4

     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the Registrant's Bylaws, indemnification agreements, or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities
and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as
expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim
for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the adjudication of such issue.


                                       4

<PAGE>   5

                                   SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant,
Proxim, Inc., a Delaware corporation, certifies that it has reasonable grounds
to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized, in the City
of Sunnyvale, State of California, on September 30, 1999.


                                                 PROXIM, INC.


                                                 By: /s/ DAVID C. KING
                                                    ----------------------------
                                                    David C. King,
                                                    Chairman of Board, President
                                                    and Chief Executive Officer


                                       5

<PAGE>   6

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY


     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below consulates and appoints David C. King and Keith E. Glover, jointly
and severally, his attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of substitution, for
him in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Registration
Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his
substitute, or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
           SIGNATURE                              TITLE                             DATE
           ---------                              -----                             ----
<S>                               <C>                                        <C>
/s/ DAVID C. KING                 President and Chief Executive Officer,     September 30, 1999
-------------------------------   (Principal Executive Officer), Chairman
David C. King                     of the Board of Directors

/s/ KEITH E. GLOVER               Chief Financial Officer, Vice President    September 30, 1999
-------------------------------   of Finance and Administration (Principal
Keith E. Glover                   Financial and Accounting Officer)


/s/ RAYMOND CHIN                  Director                                   September 30, 1999
-------------------------------
Raymond Chin


/s/ LESLIE G. DENEND              Director                                   September 30, 1999
-------------------------------
Leslie G. Denend


/s/ GREGORY L. REYES              Director                                   September 30, 1999
-------------------------------
Gregory L. Reyes


/s/ JEFFREY D. SAPER              Director                                   September 30, 1999
-------------------------------
Jeffrey D. Saper
</TABLE>


                                       6

<PAGE>   7

                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit Number                          Description
--------------                          -----------
<S>               <C>
      5.1         Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional
                  Corporation

     10.1         1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended

     10.2         1994 Director Option Plan, as amended

     23.1         Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

     23.2         Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional
                  Corporation (Contained in Exhibit 5.1)

     24.1         Power of Attorney (see page 6)
</TABLE>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 14395}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "PROXIM INC /DE/", "cik": "0000914027", "assigned-sic": "3576", "irs-number": "770059429", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-88369", "film-number": "99722439"}, "business-address": {"street1": "295 N BERNARDO AVE", "city": "MOUNTAIN VIEW", "state": "CA", "zip": "94043", "phone": "4159601630"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "295 N BERNARDO AVE", "city": "MOUNTAIN VIEW", "state": "CA", "zip": "94043"}}
1
    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 4, 1999
                                                      Registration No. 333-
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        Under The Securities Act of 1933

                                  PROXIM, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware                                            77-0059429
(State or other jurisdiction of                              (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)                           Identification Number)
510 DeGuigne Drive
                               Sunnyvale, CA 94086
                                 (408) 731-2700
               (Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
       including area code, of Registrant's principal executive offices)

                          1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan
                            1994 Director Option Plan
                            (Full title of the plans)

                                 KEITH E. GLOVER
                           Chief Financial Officer and
                  Vice President of Finance and Administration
                                  PROXIM, INC.
                               510 DeGuigne Drive
                               Sunnyvale, CA 94086
                                 (408) 731-2700
           (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                                    Copy to:
                             JEFFREY D. SAPER, ESQ.
                        Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
                            Professional Corporation
                               650 Page Mill Road
                               Palo Alto, CA 94304
                                 (650) 493-9300
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

                                                                 Proposed        Proposed Maximum    Amount of
         Title of Each Class of              Amount to be    Maximum Offering        Aggregate      Registration
      Securities to be Registered             Registered    Price Per Share(1)    Offering Price       Fee(2)
================================================================================================================
Common Stock, $.001 par value, per share
  -  1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan              900,000          $47.5375           $42,693,750      $11,868.86
  -  1994 Director Option Plan                  100,000          $47.5375           $ 4,743,750      $ 1,318.76

         TOTAL                                1,000,000                             $47,437,500      $13,187.62
================================================================================================================
(1)  Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) of Regulation C solely for the purpose of
     calculating the registration fee. The proposed maximum aggregate offering
     price per share with respect to the 900,000 shares authorized and reserved
     for issuance under the 1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan and the 100,000 shares
     authorized and reserved under the 1994 Director Option Plan has been
     estimated to be the average of the high and low price reported in the
     Nasdaq National Market on September 30, 1999 (the "FMV").

(2)  Amount of Registration Fee was calculated pursuant to Section 6(b) of the
     Securities Act of 1933, which states that the fee shall be "$278 per $1
     million" of the maximum aggregate price at which such securities are
     proposed to be offered. The Registration Fee is therefore calculated by
     multiplying the aggregate offering or sales amount by 0.000278.
2

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Information Incorporated by Reference.

     There are hereby incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement
the following documents and information heretofore filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC"):

     (a)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the
year ended December 31, 1998.

     (b)  The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC for the
three months ended June 30, 1999.

     (c)  The description of the Registrant's Common Stock to be offered hereby
is contained in the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 21, 1993 pursuant to Section
12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), including any
amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

     All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14
and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Registration Statement and
prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing such
documents.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

     Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

     The validity of the issuance of shares of Common Stock offered hereby will
be passed upon by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation
("WSGR"), Palo Alto, California. Jeffrey D. Saper, a member of WSGR, is a
director and Secretary of the Registrant. As of the date of this Form S-8
Registration Statement, Mr. Saper beneficially owned 1,847 shares of
Registrant's Common Stock.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporations Law authorizes a court to
award, or a corporation's Board of Directors to grant, indemnification to
directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such
indemnification under certain conditions for liabilities (including
reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "Securities Act"). Article VI of the Company's Bylaws provides
for the mandatory indemnification of its directors, officers, employees and
other agents to the maximum extent permitted by Delaware General Corporation
Law, and the Company has

                                       2
3

entered into agreements with its officers, directors and certain key employees
implementing such indemnification.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

     Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.
Exhibit Number
--------------
5.1         Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., as to the
                  legality of securities being registered.

     10.1         1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended

     10.2         1994 Director Option Plan, as amended

     23.1         Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

     23.2         Consent of Counsel (included in Exhibit 5.1)

     24.1         Power of Attorney (see page 6)
Item 9. Undertakings.

     (a)  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement to include any
material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such
information in the registration statement.

          (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

          (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

          (4)  That, for purposes of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to
Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each
filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of
the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                                       3
4

     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the Registrant's Bylaws, indemnification agreements, or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities
and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as
expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim
for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the adjudication of such issue.

                                       4
5

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant,
Proxim, Inc., a Delaware corporation, certifies that it has reasonable grounds
to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized, in the City
of Sunnyvale, State of California, on September 30, 1999.

                                                 PROXIM, INC.

                                                 By: /s/ DAVID C. KING
                                                    ----------------------------
                                                    David C. King,
                                                    Chairman of Board, President
                                                    and Chief Executive Officer

                                       5
6

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below consulates and appoints David C. King and Keith E. Glover, jointly
and severally, his attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of substitution, for
him in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Registration
Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his
substitute, or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.
SIGNATURE                              TITLE                             DATE
           ---------                              -----                             ----
/s/ DAVID C. KING                 President and Chief Executive Officer,     September 30, 1999
-------------------------------   (Principal Executive Officer), Chairman
David C. King                     of the Board of Directors

/s/ KEITH E. GLOVER               Chief Financial Officer, Vice President    September 30, 1999
-------------------------------   of Finance and Administration (Principal
Keith E. Glover                   Financial and Accounting Officer)

/s/ RAYMOND CHIN                  Director                                   September 30, 1999
-------------------------------
Raymond Chin

/s/ LESLIE G. DENEND              Director                                   September 30, 1999
-------------------------------
Leslie G. Denend

/s/ GREGORY L. REYES              Director                                   September 30, 1999
-------------------------------
Gregory L. Reyes

/s/ JEFFREY D. SAPER              Director                                   September 30, 1999
-------------------------------
Jeffrey D. Saper
6
7

                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit Number                          Description
--------------                          -----------
5.1         Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional
                  Corporation

     10.1         1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended

     10.2         1994 Director Option Plan, as amended

     23.1         Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

     23.2         Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional
                  Corporation (Contained in Exhibit 5.1)

     24.1         Power of Attorney (see page 6)