Description of the most common Wi-Fi standards and types

Wi-Fi is an umbrella term. In a sense, it’s very precise. This section explains specific methods for connecting to the Internet.

There are many different types of Wi-Fi standards. Routers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and smart home devices use different wireless standards to connect to the Internet. Wireless standards also change every few years. Updates can bring faster internet speeds, better connections, more simultaneous connections, and more, but the sheer number of wireless standards and specifications can be confusing, to say the least.

What is Wi-Fi standard?

Wireless standards are a set of services and protocols that determine how Wi-Fi networks (and other data transmission networks) operate.

The most common wireless standards are IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN (WLAN) and mesh. The IEEE updates the 802.11 Wi-Fi standard every few years. As of this writing, the most commonly used Wi-Fi standard is 802.11ac, but the next generation Wi-Fi standard is 802.11ax (also known as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E). But more on this later. !) is being rolled out, albeit more slowly than most experts thought.

The next generation of 802.11ax is now on the horizon, with IEEE 802.11be expected to be released around 2024/2025 (using the name Wi-Fi 7). Before you ask, yes, Wi-Fi 8 is in development and currently uses the name IEEE 802.11bn, but it is not expected to be released until at least 2028 and will explain how Wi-Fi works. Considering that, it will probably be several years from now. Launch and uptake tend to filter slowly.

A brief history of wireless standards

Not all old Wi-Fi standards are obsolete. At least not yet. Here’s a brief history of the Wi-Fi standard and whether it’s still relevant today.

• IEEE 802.11: original! This now-defunct standard was created in 1997 and supported ultra-fast maximum connection speeds of 54 megabits per second (Mbps). The devices that use it aren’t made more than a decade ago, so they won’t work with today’s equipment.
• IEEE 802.11a: Created in 1999, this version of Wi-Fi operates in the 5GHz band. This was done so that there would be less interference since many devices (like most wireless phones) also use his 2.4 GHz band. 802.11a is also quite fast, with maximum data rates reaching 54Mbps. However, the 5 GHz frequency often reduces communication range because objects are less likely to be in the signal path.
• IEEE 802.11b: Also created in 1999, this standard uses the more popular 2.4GHz band and can achieve speeds of up to 11Mbps. 802.11b is the standard that helped popularize Wi-Fi.
• IEEE 802.11g: The 802.11g standard, designed in 2003, increased maximum data rates to 54 Mbps while maintaining the reliable 2.4 GHz band. This led to widespread adoption of this standard.
• IEEE 802.11n: This version, introduced in 2009, was slow to gain initial adoption. 802.11n operates in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and also supports multichannel usage. Each channel provides a maximum data rate of 150Mbps. This means that the standard’s maximum data rate is 600Mbps.
• IEEE 802.11ac: The AC standard is the one used by most wireless devices as of this writing. First released in 2014, AC significantly increases data throughput for Wi-Fi devices up to 1,300 megabits per second. Additionally, AC adds MU-MIMO support, additional Wi-Fi broadcast channels in the 5GHz band, and support for more antennas on a single router.
• IEEE 802.11ax: Next up for routers and wireless devices is the AX standard. Once the 802.11ax deployment is complete, the theoretical network throughput will be accessible at 10 Gbps. This is approximately a 30-40 percent improvement over AC standards. Additionally, Wireless Ax increases network capacity by adding broadcast subchannels, upgrading MU-MIMO, and allowing more simultaneous data streams.
• IEEE 802.11be: The 802.11be specification has not yet been finalized, but it is likely to be the successor to 802.11ax. According to the IEEE Xplore paper, 802.11be “doubles the bandwidth and increases the number of spatial streams, which enable data rates as high as 40 Gbps.”

As mentioned earlier, the Wi-Fi 8 standard is under development and its current official name is IEEE 802.11bn.

Are all Wi-Fi devices compatible?

Two devices that use the same Wi-Fi standard can communicate without restrictions. However, problems arise when you try to connect two devices that use different, incompatible wireless standards.

• These days, routers and devices that use 802.11ac can communicate without any problems.
• Devices using 802.11b, g, and n can communicate with the AC router.
• 11b cannot communicate with a and vice versa.
• 11g cannot communicate with b and vice versa.

The original 1997 standard (now known as 802.11 Legacy) is obsolete, and the A and B standards are nearing the end of their lives. Yes, most Wi-Fi devices are compatible, but there are some peculiarities to this standard. Specifically, when you buy a new device, you want to make sure it’s compatible with your current Wi-Fi router. However, if you have an older router that uses older Wi-Fi standards, this may not be the case.

For example, just because you brought home a shiny new 802.11ac router to send Wi-Fi to the darkest depths doesn’t mean your older devices will suddenly be able to use the AC standard.receive Several You get all the benefits of a router, such as increased range, but the connection speed is only as fast as your device’s Wi-Fi standard.

If a device uses 802.11n, it will only connect and transmit using the n standard.

What is Wi-Fi6?

Compatibility with older Wi-Fi standards is important, but what about the Wi-Fi standards currently in use and future Wi-Fi standards?

Wifi [Number] is the Wi-Fi Alliance’s wireless standard naming system. The Wi-Fi Alliance claims that 802.11 terminology is confusing to consumers. Those people are right; just updating one or two characters doesn’t give the user much information to work with.

The Wi-Fi Alliance naming system runs concurrently with IEEE 802.11 conventions. The naming criteria correlation is as follows:

• Wi-Fi 7: 11be (2024/2025)
• Wi-Fi 6E: 11ax (2021)
• Wi-Fi 6: 11ax (2019)
• Wi-Fi 5: 11ac (2014)
• Wi-Fi 4: 11n (2009)
• Wi-Fi 3: 11g (2003)
• Wi-Fi2: 11a (1999)
• Wi-Fi 1: 11b (1999)
• heritage: 11 (1997)

What is Wi-Fi 6E?

Wi-Fi 6 became the widespread Wi-Fi standard throughout 2020. But by the end of 2020, another “new” normal began to pick up pace.

Wi-Fi 6E is an extension of Wi-Fi 6. This update allows Wi-Fi connections to broadcast on the new 6GHz band.

Previously, all Wi-Fi connections were limited to two bands: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. These two frequency bands are busy and each band is divided into smaller channels. For example, if you live in an apartment complex, many Wi-Fi routers may be trying to broadcast using the same frequency and the same channel.

This does not mean that your data will be transferred to your neighbor’s computer. That’s not how modern packet-switched internets work. However, you may experience Wi-Fi performance issues, especially in crowded areas.

Wi-Fi 6E creates 14 new 80MHz channels and seven 160Mhz channels, significantly increasing the network capacity available to users. Users in dense, congested areas will see a significant increase in available bandwidth and reduced Wi-Fi interference. In other words, Wi-Fi 6E effectively quadruples the space available for Wi-Fi connections.

So when can we get the new Wi-Fi 6E routers? The first few Wi-Fi 6E-equipped routers are expected to start arriving in 2021, and Netgear is one of the first to bring this router to market. One of the manufacturers. But now there are tons of great Wi-Fi 6E routers you can buy to boost your Wi-Fi speeds.

What is Wi-Fi7?

I just unboxed my Wi-Fi 6E router, but people on the internet are already talking about Wi-Fi 7. Well, you don’t have to worry about the next generation of his Wi-Fi just yet. Official specifications for Wi-Fi 7 have not yet been finalized. IEEE plans to finalize the Wi-Fi 7 specification in early 2024. This means it’s unlikely we’ll see devices using Wi-Fi 7 until at least 2025.

Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t consider Wi-Fi 7’s potential features.

• Increased bandwidth and speed: Wi-Fi 7 is designed to provide maximum throughput of up to 40Gbps and 46Gbps. [PDF]more than three times faster than Wi-Fi 6’s 9.6Gbps.
• 320MHz channel: Wi-Fi 7 supports wider channel bandwidth of up to 320 MHz compared to Wi-Fi 6’s up to 160 MHz. This allows for more efficient data transmission and significantly increases throughput.
• Multi-link operation (MLO): This feature allows the device to send and receive data on multiple frequency bands simultaneously. MLO can improve reliability and reduce latency by seamlessly switching bands depending on network conditions. MLO is a very exciting development in Wi-Fi 7 that allows devices to connect to multiple bands, greatly increasing the possibilities for data transmission.
• higher order modulation: Wi-Fi 7 will support 4096-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation), a step up from 1024-QAM used in Wi-Fi 6. This means more data can be sent on each signal, increasing the overall data rate. , which means a faster internet connection.

As mentioned earlier, the final specifications for Wi-Fi 7 are not complete, but we can give you a good guarantee that these specifications will be similar to the final product.

What is Wi-Fi8?

Wait, I hear you crying. How can we talk about Wi-Fi 8 when Wi-Fi 7 hasn’t been released yet? Well, the truth is, most of the conversation about Wi-Fi 8 is theoretical. There are no official working specs for Wi-Fi 8, and there are no leaks or official details yet. However, Wi-Fi 8 is likely to focus on a few key areas that will make Wi-Fi faster.

• Increased bandwidth and speed: Wi-Fi 8 is expected to significantly increase Wi-Fi speeds, potentially reaching a theoretical maximum of 100 Gbps (again, that sounds unbelievable, but it’s a realistic speed may be slower).
• Larger Wi-Fi channels: Given the growth of previous generations, Wi-Fi 8 will likely offer larger Wi-Fi channels and allow for greater data throughput.
• New band integration: Although nothing is certain, some analysis suggests that Wi-Fi 8 specifications may include new and different Wi-Fi bands. For example, Wi-Fi Now notes that there is “a lot of discussion about including higher frequency bands such as 60 GHz in the N8021 billion standard,” which gives Wi-Fi 8 access to mmWave (non-cellular 5G). “It was,” he points out. Therefore, it is very fast.

As mentioned earlier, this is all theoretical, but Wi-Fi 8 will be here sooner than we think. Wi-Fi 8 is expected to launch around 2028, but like all new Wi-Fi standards, it takes time for devices using the new technology to hit the market. You may not use a Wi-Fi 8 router until 2030.

Get the best internet speeds using the latest Wi-Fi standards

Upgrading your device to the latest Wi-Fi standards has many benefits, and the most notable one is often improved internet speeds. But other improvements in bandwidth, data capacity, and security are also worth noting. That’s why you should take the opportunity to use the latest Wi-Fi standards whenever possible.