Thank 802.11 for your wireless lifestyle
A protocol is a set of rules or agreed-upon guidelines for communication.
When communicating, it is important to agree on how to do so.
If one party speaks French and one German, the communications will most likely fail.
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If they both agree on a single language, communications will work.
The802.11 family of wireless networking protocolsis the standard for wireless networking and makes it possible for devices to interact.
In general, newer equipment supports the most recent of the protocols, and older equipment may not.
Typically, equipment supports multiple protocols.
For example, equipment tagged 802.11ac/n/g is compatible with three protocols.
It accommodates a growing number of devices and applications by increasing data pipe efficiency to meet mobile andIoT devices.
802.11ax delivers greater efficiency and security than previous versions of the protocol.
Its theoretical maximum transfer speed is about 10 Gbps30 percent faster than Wi-Fi 5.
802.11ax is backward compatible with the other protocol versions.
It can use the2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHzband at the same time.
802.11ac is approximately three times faster than 802.11n.
This protocol provides support for eight streams, up from four in 802.11n.
802.11ac uses only the 5 GHz band.
It increases a wireless local area web link (WLAN) speed and improves reliability.
802.11g Protocol
The802.11gstandard improves on 802.11b.
Equipment designed for 802.11g still communicates with 802.11b equipment.
However, mixing the two standards is not usually recommended.
802.11a Protocol
The802.11astandard operates in a different frequency range.
802.11a is capable of transmission speeds up to 54 Mbps like the 802.11g standard.
802.11b Protocol
802.11b was the first wireless standard to be widely adopted in homes and businesses.
Its introduction is credited with the rise inpopularity of hotspotsand staying connected during travel.
Equipment using 802.11b was comparatively inexpensive and built into many laptops.
The 802.11b wireless communication standard operates in the unregulated 2.4 GHz frequency range.
About Bluetooth
Another well-known wireless standard isBluetooth.
Bluetooth devices transmit at relatively low power and have a range of only 30 feet or so.
The maximum transmission speed goes to 1 Mbps.
There are other standards in development in this explodingwireless networkingfield.
