802.11
Understanding 802.11 Wi-Fi Standards
The 802.11 family of standards has evolved dramatically since the original 1997 specification. Each generation has introduced new RF technologies to increase throughput, reduce latency, and improve reliability. Modern Wi-Fi (802.11ax/be) uses sophisticated RF techniques originally developed for cellular and military systems.
Wi-Fi Generations
| Standard | Name | Band | Max Rate | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 802.11b | Wi-Fi 1 | 2.4 GHz | 11 Mbps | 1999 |
| 802.11a | Wi-Fi 2 | 5 GHz | 54 Mbps | 1999 |
| 802.11g | Wi-Fi 3 | 2.4 GHz | 54 Mbps | 2003 |
| 802.11n | Wi-Fi 4 | 2.4/5 GHz | 600 Mbps | 2009 |
| 802.11ac | Wi-Fi 5 | 5 GHz | 6.9 Gbps | 2013 |
| 802.11ax | Wi-Fi 6/6E | 2.4/5/6 GHz | 9.6 Gbps | 2020 |
| 802.11be | Wi-Fi 7 | 2.4/5/6 GHz | 46 Gbps | 2024 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 802.11 Wi-Fi?
IEEE 802.11 is the international standard for wireless local area networking (Wi-Fi). It defines how devices communicate wirelessly in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. Successive versions (a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) have progressively increased speed and capacity.
What is the difference between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7?
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) supports up to 160 MHz channels and 1024-QAM. Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) doubles channel width to 320 MHz, introduces 4096-QAM, and adds multi-link operation (MLO) for simultaneous transmission across multiple bands. Wi-Fi 7 peak rate is 46 Gbps vs 9.6 Gbps for Wi-Fi 6.
What frequency does Wi-Fi use?
Wi-Fi operates in three unlicensed bands: 2.4 GHz (2.400-2.4835 GHz), 5 GHz (5.150-5.825 GHz), and 6 GHz (5.925-7.125 GHz, Wi-Fi 6E/7 only). The 2.4 GHz band has longer range but more congestion; 5/6 GHz bands have wider channels and less interference.