1.2.6 Wireless Standards

Post author:ExamDisk
Post published:July 9, 2023
Post category:Uncategorized
Post comments:0 Comments
Post last modified:July 9, 2023
Reading time:4 mins read

1.2.6 Wireless Standards

The world of wireless communications is vast. However, for particular job-related skills, we want to focus on specific aspects of Wi-Fi. The best place to start is with the IEEE 802.11 WLAN standards. These standards define how radio frequencies are used for wireless links. Most of the standards specify that wireless devices have one antenna to transmit and receive wireless signals on the specified radio frequency (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz or 6 GHz). Some of the newer standards that transmit and receive at higher speeds require access points (APs) and wireless clients to have multiple antennas using the multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) technology. MIMO uses multiple antennas as both the transmitter and receiver to improve communication performance. Up to eight transmit and receive antennas can be used to increase throughput.

Various implementations of the IEEE 802.11 standard have been developed over the years. The table highlights these standards.

IEEE WLAN Standard	Radio Frequency	Description
802.11	2.4 GHz	speeds of up to 2 Mbps
802.11a	5 GHz	speeds of up to 54 Mbps small coverage area less effective at penetrating building structures not interoperable with the 802.11b and 802.11g
802.11b	2.4 GHz	speeds of up to 11 Mbps longer range than 802.11a better able to penetrate building structures
802.11g	2.4 GHz	speeds of up to 54 Mbps backward compatible with 802.11b with reduced bandwidth capacity
802.11n	2.4 GHz 5 GHz	data rates range from 150 Mbps to 600 Mbps with a distance range of up to 70 m (230 feet) APs and wireless clients require multiple antennas using MIMO technology backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g devices with limiting data rates
802.11ac	5 GHz	provides data rates ranging from 450 Mbps to 1.3 Gbps (1300 Mbps) using MIMO technology Up to eight antennas can be supported backwards compatible with 802.11a/n devices with limiting data rates
802.11ax	2.4 GHz 5 GHz	released in 2019 – latest standard also known as High-Efficiency Wireless (HEW) higher data rates increased capacity handles many connected devices improved power efficiency 1 GHz and 7 GHz capable when those frequencies become available Search the internet for Wi-Fi Generation 6 for more information Wi-Fi 6 – Uses 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands Wi-Fi 6E – Uses 6 GHz band

Licensed and Unlicensed Bands

Various communications channels transmit signals over the electromagnetic spectrum. The licensed spectrum refers to the bands (range of frequency) that are reserved for radio stations, cellular companies, and broadcast television stations. Media and cellular companies typical pay for the right to transmit over a specific frequency within the licensed spectrum. In the United States, this is done by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Other countries have a similar regulatory agency which licenses specific bands for that country.

The unlicensed spectrum is open for anyone to use. The unlicensed spectrum is where we find IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi technologies and is available free to the public. Anyone can transmit over the unlicensed spectrum.

5 1 vote

Article Rating

1.2.6 Wireless Standards

Licensed and Unlicensed Bands

You Might Also Like

1.1.6 Document Findings, Actions, and Outcomes

What impact might outliers have on an analysis?

A sales department is analyzing the sales trend for one of their best products. They collected quarterly sales number over the past five years and want to plot the data in a graphical format for quick analysis and interpretation. Which one is NOT a good way to visualize?