Wi-Fi has always had a bit of a branding problem. The ubiquitous wireless networking standard is set by the IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and uses the engineers' arcane numbering system.
The original Wi-Fi standard was numbered 802.11, with speedier extensions getting letters at the end: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n. Eventually, with more amendments to 802.11 than letters, the engineers started wrapping around: 802.11ad isn't the fourth addition to 802.11a, but an amendment of its own.
Wi-Fi definition: Wi-Fi is defined as an abbreviation for wireless fidelity, meaning you can access or connect to a network using radio waves, without needing to use wires. (abbreviation) An example of Wi-Fi is when you go to Starbucks and can join o. Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi, networking technology that uses radio waves to allow high-speed data transfer over short distances. Wi-Fi technology has its origins in a 1985 ruling by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that released the bands of the radio spectrum at.
In any case, that's always been confusing (is ac faster than n?) so finally, the Wi-Fi Alliancethe industry group that handles Wi-Fi certification and branding—has rebranded the speeds for consumers.
We're now swapping letters for version numbers. There is no Wi-Fi 1, 2, or 3, formally, but there are places for those versions in Wi-Fi's history. Here's how the six current consumer standards will get renamed.
Introduced | Bands | ||
802.11b | 'Wi-Fi 1' (unofficial) | 11Mbps | 2.4GHz |
802.11a | 'Wi-Fi 2' (unofficial) | 54Mbps | 5GHz |
802.11g | 'Wi-Fi 3' (unofficial) | 54Mbps | 2.4GHz |
802.11n | Wi-Fi 4 | 600Mbps | 2.4GHz and 5GHz |
802.11ac | Wi-Fi 5 | 3.46Gbps | 5GHz |
802.11ax | Wi-Fi 6 | 10.53Gbps | 2.4GHz and 5GHz |
You're likely to see these new names taking hold in 2019 and really becoming widespread in 2020. You'll see the new numbering on routers, laptops, and other Wi-Fi devices going forward.
The Wi-Fi Alliance will try to get device makers to push people toward newer Wi-Fi devices by having user interface icons show the Wi-Fi level a device is connected to. So, if you get a Wi-Fi 6 router but all your devices are on Wi-Fi 4, you'll see an icon that clearly shows you need to upgrade your devices to get better speeds.
Why do you want Wi-Fi 6, anyway? I wrote an explainer on what was once 802.11ax back in 2017. The details are still correct, except for the launch dates, which were too optimistic. In short, 802.11ax really improves performance in crowded Wi-Fi areas, where there are a lot of different networks or a lot of people on your network.
802.11ax access points started becoming available this summer, ahead of official certification, which is coming in 2019. There are no 802.11ax clients yet, but expect many 2019 mobile phones to support the standard.
Wi-Fi Alphabet Soup
The well-known forms of Wi-Fi aren't the only versions of the 802.11 standard. The IEEE has had working groups on 802.11 back to the 1990s, and it's currently working on amendments to the Wi-Fi standard that wouldn't take effect before 2022. You can see all these amendments on the IEEE's official timeline. But here's a quick rundown of what each one does and when it was approved.
![Wi Fi Wi Fi](/uploads/1/2/4/8/124880520/503012555.jpg)
802.11 ... | a | b | The oldest consumer Wi-Fi standard. | c | d | e | f | A way for access points to talk to each other. | g | h | i | j | k | n | 'Speedy' Wi-Fi introduced in 2009; now Wi-Fi 4. | p | Car-to-car networking for driverless cars. | r | Faster handoffs between access points, mostly for Wi-Fi phones. | s | u | v | w | y | z | ac | Speedier Wi-Fi standard, now called Wi-Fi 5. | ad | af | ah | ak | ai | A standard that lets Wi-Fi devices connnect to a network in 100ms. | aj | aq | A standard to help devices negotiate connections. | ax | Wi-Fi 6, the next version of fast consumer Wi-Fi. | ay | az | A way for Wi-Fi devices to better determine their physical location. | ba | bb | ShippingPass subscription gets you the things you need without hurting your pocket. When you purchase ShippingPass you don't have to worry about minimum order requirements or shipping distance. No matter how small the order or how far it needs to go, ShippingPass provides unlimited nationwide shipping. If you need to return or exchange an item you can send it back at no cost or take it to your neighborhood store. To see if ShippingPass is right for you, try a 30-day free trial. Also, with ShippingPass, there is no need to worry about commitment. If you decide you want to discontinue the service, you can cancel your subscription at any time. No matter what your shipping needs, Walmart's got you covered. Sign up for ShippingPass so you can shop more, save money and live better.
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