Understanding WiFi Standards: A Complete Guide
WiFi technology has come a long way since it first started. Each new standard has brought better speed, capacity, and reliability. Let's explore how WiFi standards have evolved and what makes each one unique through this image and understand some of the key Technology improvements offered by each Standard: Legacy Standards (802.11 Legacy) The journey began with the original IEEE 802.11 standard in 1997. This early version offered: 802.11-Prime (DSSS) Data rates: 1 and 2 Mbps Frequency band: 2.4 GHz Modulation: FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) or DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum) 802.11b (1999) The first widely used WiFi standard brought big improvements: Data rates: Up to 11 Mbps Frequency band: 2.4 GHz Modulation: DSSS Range: Up to 100 meters indoors Compatibility: Worked with the original 802.11 standard 802.11a (1999) Released at the same time as 802.11b but with different features and the operational band: Data rates: Up to 54 Mbps Frequency band: 5 GHz Modulation...