802.11 Standards Flashcards
802.11a (Wi-Fi 2):
Speed - Up to 54 Mbps
Frequency - 5 GHz
Range - Shorter range due to higher frequency
Interference - Less interference
Wi-Fi Alliance Name - Wi-Fi 2 (unofficially)
802.11b (Wi-Fi 1)
Speed - Up to 11 Mbps
Frequency - 2.4 GHz
Range - Good range due to lower frequency
Interference - More interference (many devices use 2.4 GHz)
Wi-Fi Alliance Name - Wi-Fi 1 (unofficially)
802.11g (Wi-Fi 3)
Speed - Up to 54 Mbps
Frequency - 2.4 GHz
Range - Good range, similar to 802.11b
Interference - More interference (2.4 GHz is commonly used)
Wi-Fi Alliance Name - Wi-Fi 3 (unofficially)
802.11n (Wi-Fi 4)
Speed - Up to 600 Mbps
Frequency - 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
Range - Better than 802.11a/g, option for 2.4 GHz improves range
Interference - The 2.4 GHz band has more interference, less on the 5 GHz
Wi-Fi Alliance Name - Wi-Fi 4
MIMO - Supported (up to 4x4)
802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5)
Speed - Up to 6.9 Gbps
Frequency - 5 GHz
Range - Shorter than 2.4 GHz networks, better with beamforming
Interference - Less crowded, minimal interference
Wi-Fi Alliance Name - Wi-Fi 5
MIMO - Supported (up to 8x8)
MU-MIMO - Supported
802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
Speed - Up to 9.6 Gbps
Frequency - 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
Range - Improved over Wi-Fi 5, especially in the 2.4 GHz band
Interference - Technologies like OFDMA reduce interference
Wi-Fi Alliance Name - Wi-Fi 6
MIMO - Supported (up to 8x8)
MU-MIMO - Supported
802.11be (Wi-Fi 7)
Speed - Expected to exceed 30 Gbps
Frequency - 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz
Range - Anticipated to offer enhanced range with new technologies
Interference - Expected to be managed with advanced techniques
Wi-Fi Alliance Name - Wi-Fi 7 (anticipated)
MIMO - Supported (expected to support higher than 8x8)
MU-MIMO - Supported
What is MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output)? and MU-MIMO (Multi-User MIMO)?
MIMO - A technology using multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver.
MIMO - Enhances communication performance, data rates, and network capacity by using multiple signal paths.
MU-MIMO - An advancement of MIMO technology.
MU-MIMO - Allows multiple users to simultaneously access the same network.
MU-MIMO - Each user has their own dedicated set of multiple antennas, improving network efficiency and throughput.
Why are channels important in WLANs?
Each frequency that is used has specific channels and channel numbers
2.4 GHz - uses 11 channels in North America
2.4 GHz - has three non-overlapping channels (1, 3, 11)
5 GHz - all channels are non-overlapping
5 GHz - bands are labeled UNII and some channels support dynamic frequency selection to allow wireless communication in the same channels as radar operates.
