Wireless Standards
Overview of Wireless StandardsThere are several wireless standards and this can cause some confusion regarding compatibility and hardware selection.
802.11b
The most commonly used wireless standard is called 802.11b.Ý 802.11b operates in the 2.4 GHz range and has a maximum speed of 11 megabits per second.Ý 802.11b can go the longest distance but has a slower speed and can be prone to interference from things like 2.4 GHz cordless phones and microwave ovens,802.11a
Another wireless standard is 802.11a.Ý 802.11a runs in a different range (5 GHz) and has a maximum speed of 54 megabits per second 802.11a is faster than 802.11b but covers shorter distances.Ý 802.11a is not prone to interference in the same way because the 5 GHz frequency range is not used by other devices. Ý 802.11aÝ is also not compatible with 802.11b so if you want to support both standards you either have to have two access points or an access point that transmits both standards.Ý802.11g
The newest standard is 802.11g.Ý802.11g has a higher speed of 54 megabits per seconds and the same distance range as 802.11b. The 802.11g standard is backwards compatible with 802.11b. 802.11g also operates in the 2.4 GHz band so it does have the same interference problems as 802.11b.802.11n
Curently there is an IEEE working group (the High Throughput Study Group) discussing changes to the 802.11 standard. This newer standard might be called 802.11n and could deliver speeds over 100 mbps.Additional Information on Wireless Standards
- Center for Wireless Communication
http://www.cwt.vt.edu/faq/80211.htm - FAQ Wireless
http://au.playstation.com/ng/faq_wireless.jhtml
- Wireless LAN throughput on the rise
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/092980211n.html