Introduction to Computer Networking & The Web

WiFi Standards and Bands

Major WiFi Standards

Standard
Year
Max Speed
Frequency
Key Features
802.11b
1999
11 Mbps
2.4 GHz
First widely adopted standard, slower speeds
802.11g
2003
54 Mbps
2.4 GHz
Backward compatible with 802.11b
802.11n (WiFi 4)
2009
600 Mbps
2.4/5 GHz
Introduced MIMO technology, dual-band support
802.11ac (WiFi 5)
2014
3.5 Gbps
5 GHz
Wider channels, MU-MIMO, beamforming
802.11ax (WiFi 6)
2019
9.6 Gbps
2.4/5 GHz
OFDMA, improved efficiency in crowded areas
802.11ax (WiFi 6E)
2020
9.6 Gbps
2.4/5/6 GHz
Adds 6 GHz band, reduced interference
802.11be (WiFi 7)
2024
46 Gbps
2.4/5/6 GHz
Multi-link operation, 320 MHz channels

WiFi Frequency Bands

2.4 GHz Band

  • Range: Better penetration through walls, longer range
  • Speed: Slower speeds (up to 600 Mbps with WiFi 4)
  • Interference: More crowded, shared with Bluetooth and microwaves
  • Channels: 11-14 channels (region dependent), only 3 non-overlapping
  • Best for: IoT devices, longer-range connections

5 GHz Band

  • Range: Shorter range, less wall penetration
  • Speed: Faster speeds (up to 3.5 Gbps with WiFi 5)
  • Interference: Less crowded, cleaner signal
  • Channels: 24+ non-overlapping channels
  • Best for: Streaming, gaming, high-bandwidth applications

6 GHz Band (WiFi 6E/7)

  • Range: Shortest range, requires line of sight
  • Speed: Highest speeds (up to 46 Gbps with WiFi 7)
  • Interference: Virtually no interference, dedicated to WiFi
  • Channels: 59 additional channels, including 320 MHz wide channels
  • Best for: VR/AR, 8K streaming, ultra-low latency applications

Key Differences Summary

  • Speed vs Range: Higher frequencies (5/6 GHz) offer faster speeds but shorter range; 2.4 GHz provides better range but slower speeds
  • Interference: 2.4 GHz is more congested; 5 GHz is cleaner; 6 GHz is cleanest
  • Device Support: Newer standards require compatible devices to achieve maximum performance
  • Use Case: Choose band based on distance from router and bandwidth requirements