Wi-Fi standards are protocols or sets of specifications that define how wireless devices communicate with each other. There's a breakdown of the major Wi-Fi standards:
1. 802.11a (1999)
- Frequency: 5 GHz
- Maximum Speed: 54 Mbps
- Range: Shorter range due to higher frequency
- Details: One of the first standards to offer higher speeds but was less popular due to the higher cost of 5 GHz hardware at the time. Its shorter range and higher frequency made it less common in home networks.
2. 802.11b (1999)
- Frequency: 2.4 GHz
- Maximum Speed: 11 Mbps
- Range: Better range due to lower frequency
- Details: More widely adopted due to its lower cost and longer range. However, it operated at a slower speed compared to 802.11a.
3. 802.11g (2003)
- Frequency: 2.4 GHz
- Maximum Speed: 54 Mbps
- Range: Similar to 802.11b
- Details: Combined the best features of 802.11a and 802.11b by offering higher speeds on the 2.4 GHz band. It became the most common standard for many years.
4. 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4, 2009)
- Frequency: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (dual-band)
- Maximum Speed: 600 Mbps (theoretical maximum with 4 spatial streams)
- Range: Improved over previous standards
- Details: Introduced MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output), which uses multiple antennas to send and receive more data simultaneously, significantly boosting speeds and range.
5. 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5, 2013)
- Frequency: 5 GHz
- Maximum Speed: Up to 3.5 Gbps (theoretical maximum with 8 spatial streams)
- Range: Shorter than 2.4 GHz, but higher throughput
- Details: Focused on higher speeds and increased capacity for multiple devices. Introduced features like wider channels (up to 160 MHz) and beamforming, which directs the Wi-Fi signal towards specific devices.
6. 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6, 2019)
- Frequency: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (with support for future 6 GHz in Wi-Fi 6E)
- Maximum Speed: Up to 9.6 Gbps
- Range: Improved over Wi-Fi 5
- Details: Focuses on efficiency and performance in congested areas, such as apartments or stadiums. Introduced technologies like OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) and improved MIMO for better performance with multiple devices.
7. 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E, 2020)
- Frequency: 6 GHz (in addition to 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz)
- Maximum Speed: Similar to Wi-Fi 6 but with additional spectrum in the 6 GHz band
- Range: Similar to Wi-Fi 6, with the potential for less interference due to the new 6 GHz band
- Details: Extends Wi-Fi 6 into the 6 GHz band, offering more channels and less congestion, which is particularly useful in dense environments.
8. 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7, expected 2024)
- Frequency: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz
- Maximum Speed: Up to 46 Gbps (theoretical)
- Range: Similar to Wi-Fi 6/6E
- Details: Will introduce new technologies like multi-link operation (MLO) and will further increase capacity, efficiency, and speed, especially in environments with many devices.
Each new standard builds upon the previous ones, improving speed, reliability, and the ability to handle more devices simultaneously.