December 18 2007
Wi-Fi Standards
If you’ve been a little confused about all the different WiFi standards, here’s a link that will sort it all out. The major standards you need to know about are as follows along with their salient features:
| Protocol |
Release Date |
Op. Frequency |
Throughput (Typ) |
Data Rate (Max) |
Modulation Technique |
Range (Radius Indoor) |
Range (Radius Outdoor) |
| Legacy |
1997 |
2.4 GHz |
0.9 Mbit/s |
2 Mbit/s |
~20 Meters |
~100 Meters |
|
| 802.11a |
1999 |
5 GHz |
23 Mbit/s |
54 Mbit/s |
OFDM |
~35 Meters |
~120 Meters |
| 802.11b |
1999 |
2.4 GHz |
4.3 Mbit/s |
11 Mbit/s |
DSSS |
~38 Meters |
~140 Meters |
| 802.11g |
2003 |
2.4 GHz |
19 Mbit/s |
54 Mbit/s |
OFDM |
~38 Meters |
~140 Meters |
| 802.11n |
June 2009[4] (est.) |
2.4 GHz 5 GHz |
74 Mbit/s |
248 Mbit/s |
~70 Meters |
~250 Meters |
|
| 802.11y |
June 2008[4] (est.) |
3.7 GHz |
23 Mbit/s |
54 Mbit/s |
~50 Meters |
~5000 Meters |
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11
If you want to learn more about the different standards, visit Wikipedia here. 802.11n is the way to go right now, if you can find a cost effective access point. Normally you’ll see mostly 802.11b/g access points.
I would like to add another one to the list i.e 802.16 (d/e) WiMAX.