WiFi stands for “Wireless Fidelity” and is the same thing as saying WLAN which stands for “Wireless Local Area Network”. The term Wi-Fi is synonymous with wireless access in general, despite the fact that it is a specific trademark owned by the Wi-Fi Alliance, a group dedicated to certifying that Wi-Fi products meet the IEEE’s set of 802.11 wireless standards.
There are many different types of Wi-Fi standards. All Wi-Fi devices including router, laptop, tablet, smartphone, and smart home devices use different wireless standards to connect to the internet. Wireless standards change every few years, too. The latest Wi-Fi Updates bring faster internet, better connections, more simultaneous connections, better security, and so on.
IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi Standards:
802.11 and 802.11x refer to a family of specifications developed by the IEEE for Wireless LAN (WLAN) technology. 802.11 specifies an over-the-air interface between a wireless client and a base station or between two wireless clients. The IEEE accepted the specification in 1997.
The IEEE updates the 802.11 Wi-Fi standard every few years. The current Wi-Fi standard is 802.11ac, while the next generation Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ax, is in the process of rolling out.
Wi-Fi Generations:
In 2018, the Wi-Fi Alliance began using a consumer-friendly generation numbering scheme for the publicly used 802.11 protocols. Wi-Fi generations Wi-Fi 1, Wi-Fi 2, Wi-Fi 3, Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, and Wi-Fi 6 refer to the Wi-Fi standards 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, and 802.11ax, in that order.
- Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax (2020)
- Wi-Fi 5: 802.11ac (2014)
- Wi-Fi 4: 802.11n (2009)
- Wi-Fi 3: 802.11g (2003)
- Wi-Fi 2: 802.11a (1999)
- Wi-Fi 1: 802.11b (1999)
- Legacy: 802.11 (1997)
Brief Description Of Wireless Standards:
Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11ax
Wi-Fi 6 is out for the consumers to test now. IEEE 802.11ax (marketed as Wi-Fi 6 by the Wi-Fi Alliance) is the successor to 802.11ac and will increase the efficiency of WLAN networks. Known as High-Efficiency WLAN, 802.11ax aims to improve the performance in WLAN deployments in dense scenarios, such as sports stadiums and airports, while still operating in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrum.
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is an upgrade over the Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac). It’s network capacity to connect with devices is four times more than than the Wi-Fi 5 standard. Along with that, it can offer more data throughput and faster speeds to the user.
When ax completes its rollout, you will have access to theoretical network throughput of around 10Gbps and a 30-40 percent improvement over the ac standard. Furthermore, the wireless ax will increase network capacity by adding broadcast subchannels, upgrading MU-MIMO, and allowing more simultaneous data streams.
Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11ac
The 802.11ac standard or Wi-Fi 5 is what you will find most wireless devices using at the time of writing. Initially released in 2014, ac drastically increases the data throughput for Wi-Fi devices.
Current home wireless routers are likely 802.1ac-compliant and operate in the 5 GHz frequency space. With Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MIMO) – multiple antennas on sending and receiving devices to reduce error and boost speed – this standard supports data rates up to 3.46 Gbps.
Wi-Fi 4: IEEE 802.11n
Introduced in 2009, this version had slow initial adoption. W-Fi 4 or 802.11n operates on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, as well as supporting multi-channel usage. Each channel offers a maximum data rate of 150Mbps, which means the maximum data rate of the standard is 600Mbps.
The standard added support for multiple-input multiple-output antennas (MIMO).
Wi-Fi 3: IEEE 802.11g
Designed in 2003, the 802.11g standard upped the maximum data rate to 54Mbps while retaining the usage of the reliable 2.4GHz band. This resulted in the widespread adoption of the standard.
It operates at a maximum physical layer bit rate of 54 Mbit/s exclusive of forwarding error correction codes, or about 22 Mbit/s average throughput.
Wi-Fi 2: IEEE 802.11a
Created in 1999, this version of Wi-Fi works on the 5GHz band. This was done with the hope of encountering less interference since many devices (like most wireless phones) also use the 2.4GHz band. 802.11a is fairly quick too, with maximum data rates topping out at 54Mbps.
However, the 5GHz frequency has more difficulty with objects that are in the signal’s path, so the range is often poor.
Wi-Fi 1: IEEE 802.11b
Created in 1999, this standard uses the more typical 2.4GHz band and can achieve a maximum speed of 11Mbps. 802.11b was the standard that kick-started Wi-Fi’s popularity.
The 802.11b standard has a maximum raw data rate of 11 Mbit/s (Megabits per second) and uses the same media access method defined in the original standard. Devices using 802.11b experience interference from other products operating in the 2.4 GHz band. Devices operating in the 2.4 GHz range include microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices, baby monitors, cordless telephones, and some amateur radio equipment.
Does All Wi-Fi Standards Communicate?
Two devices using the same Wi-Fi standard can communicate without any issues. But Issues arise when we try to connect two devices that use different, potentially incompatible wireless standards.
- In recent times, router and devices using 802.11ac can communicate happily.
- Devices that use 802.11b, g, and n can all communicate with an ac router without any issues.
- 11b cannot communicate with a, and vice versa.
- Similarly, 11g cannot communicate with b, and vice versa.
The original 1997 standard of 802.11 is now obsolete, while the a and b standards are nearing the end of their lifespan. Wi-Fi 6 (EEE 802.11ax) is out for the consumers to test now.