Internet, Networking, & Security Home Networking 564 564 people found this article helpful 802.11 Standards Explained: 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11b/g/n, 802.11a The 802.11 family explained, from 802.11a through 802.11az by Bradley Mitchell Writer An MIT graduate who brings years of technical experience to articles on SEO, computers, and wireless networking. our editorial process LinkedIn Bradley Mitchell Updated on September 11, 2020 reviewed by Chris Selph Lifewire Tech Review Board Member Chris Selph is a CompTIA-certified technology and vocational IT teacher. He also serves as network & server administrator and performs computer maintenance and repair for numerous clients. our review board Article reviewed on Aug 07, 2020 Chris Selph Tweet Share Email The Wireless Connection The Wireless Connection Introduction All About Wireless What Does Wireless Really Mean? 802.11 Standards Explained The Range Of A Wireless Network Dual-Band Wireless Networking Explained How Bluetooth Works With Wireless Measure It: Wi-Fi Signal Strength What Is A Wi-Fi Hotspot? The Best Wi-Fi Channels For Your Network Access Your Router As An Administrator 5 Tips for Securing A Wireless Network How Many Devices Can Connect To One Wireless Router? How To Connect At Home How to Name Your Wireless Network How to Change Your Wireless Router's Admin Password Change the Wi-Fi Channel Number to Avoid Interference Build a Wireless Home Network Use Wireless Speakers In Home Theater Connect Your Echo & Alexa To Wi-Fi Connect Google Home to Wi-Fi Wirelessly Connect An iPad To Your TV Use a Free Firewall Program How To Connect On The Go How to Find Free Wi-Fi Locations Get 4G or 3G on Your Laptop Connect To Wi-Fi in Your Car Get Wireless Internet Access in a Hotel Use Your Android As A Wi-Fi Hotspot Set Up Personal Hotspot On Your iPhone Connect Nintendo Switch To Bluetooth Headphones Connect To A Wireless Network With Windows Access Your Computer Remotely How to Troubleshoot Wireless Issues 7 Reasons Wi-Fi Connections Drop Disable Automatic Wireless Connections on Windows How to Hack-proof Your Wireless Router How to Fix OS X Bluetooth Wireless Problems What to Do When Google Home Won't Connect To Wi-Fi How to Hide Your Wireless Network Can't Connect To The Internet? Try This What to Do When There's No Internet Connection The Future of Wireless 5G Changes Everything How 4G And 5G Are Different Why 5G Really Is Faster All About 5G Cell Towers 5G Challenges: Why It Isn't Rolling Out Faster Is 5G The High-Speed Replacement for Cable? When 5G Is Coming to the US The 12 Best 5G Phones Coming in 2019 In This Article What is 802.11? 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) 802.11aj 802.11ah 802.11ad 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) 802.11n 802.11g 802.11a 802.11b Extra: What About Bluetooth and the Rest? Home and business owners looking to buy networking gear face an array of choices. Many products conform to the 802.11a, 802.11b/g/n, and/or 802.11ac wireless standards collectively known as Wi-Fi technologies. Other wireless technologies such as Bluetooth also exist, fulfilling specific networking functions. For quick reference, 801.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) is the most recently approved standard. The protocol was approved in 2019. Just because a standard is approved, however, does not mean it is available to you or that it is the standard you need for your particular situation. Standards are always being updated, much like the way software is updated on a smartphone or on your computer. What is 802.11? In 1997, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers created the first WLAN standard. They called it 802.11 after the name of the group formed to oversee its development. Unfortunately, 802.11 only supported a maximum network bandwidth of 2 Mbps—too slow for most applications. For this reason, ordinary 802.11 wireless products are no longer manufactured. However, an entire family has sprung up from this initial standard. The best way to look at these standards is to consider 802.11 as the foundation, and all other iterations as building blocks upon that foundation that focus on improving both small and large aspects of the technology. Some building blocks are minor touch-ups while others are quite large. The largest changes to wireless standards come when the standards are "rolled up" to include most or all small updates. So, for example, the most recent rollup occurred in December 2016 with 802.11-2016. Since then, however, minor updates are still occurring and, eventually, another large roll-up will encompass them. Below is a brief look at the most recently approved iterations, outlined from newest to oldest. Other iterations, like 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7), are still in the approval process. Lifewire 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) Branded as Wi-Fi 6, the 802.11ax standard went live in 2019 and will replace 802.11ac as the de facto wireless standard. Wi-Fi 6 maxes out at 10 Gbps, uses less power, is more reliable in congested environments, and supports better security. 802.11aj Known as the China Millimeter Wave, this standard applies in China and is basically a rebranding of 802.11ad for use in certain areas of the world. The goal is to maintain backward compatibility with 802.11ad. 802.11ah Approved in May 2017, this standard targets lower energy consumption and creates extended-range Wi-Fi networks that can go beyond the reach of a typical 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz networks. It is expected to compete with Bluetooth given its lower power needs. 802.11ad Approved in December 2012, this standard is freakishly fast. However, the client device must be located within 30 feet of the access point. Keep in mind when distances are mentioned that ranges can be greatly impacted by obstacles that block the signal, so the range mentioned refers to situations where there is absolutely no interference. 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) The generation of Wi-Fi that first signaled popular use, 802.11ac uses dual-band wireless technology, supporting simultaneous connections on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi devices. 802.11ac offers backward compatibility to 802.11a/b/g/n and bandwidth rated up to 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band plus up to 450 Mbps on 2.4 GHz. Most home wireless routers are compliant with this standard. 802.11ac is the ost expensive to implement; performance improvements only noticeable in high-bandwidth applications 802.11ac is also referred to as Wi-Fi 5. 802.11n 802.11n (also sometimes known as Wireless N) was designed to improve on 802.11g in the amount of bandwidth it supports, by using several wireless signals and antennas (called MIMO technology) instead of one. Industry standards groups ratified 802.11n in 2009 with specifications providing for up to 600 Mbps of network bandwidth. 802.11n also offers a somewhat better range over earlier Wi-Fi standards due to its increased signal intensity, and it is backward-compatible with 802.11a/b/g gear. Pros of 802.11n: Significant bandwidth improvement from previous standards; wide support across devices and network gear Cons of 802.11n: More expensive to implement than 802.11g; use of multiple signals may interfere with nearby 802.11b/g based networks 802.11n is also referred to as Wi-Fi 4. 802.11g In 2002 and 2003, WLAN products supporting a newer standard called 802.11g emerged on the market. 802.11g attempts to combine the best of both 802.11a and 802.11b. 802.11g supports bandwidth up to 54 Mbps, and it uses the 2.4 GHz frequency for greater range. 802.11g is backward compatible with 802.11b, meaning that 802.11g access points will work with 802.11b wireless network adapters and vice versa. Pros of 802.11g: Supported by essentially all wireless devices and network equipment in use today; least expensive option Cons of 802.11g: Entire network slows to match any 802.11b devices on the network; slowest/oldest standard still in use 802.11g is also referred to as Wi-Fi 3. 802.11a While 802.11b was in development, IEEE created a second extension to the original 802.11 standard called 802.11a. Because 802.11b gained in popularity much faster than did 802.11a, some folks believe that 802.11a was created after 802.11b. In fact, 802.11a was created at the same time. Due to its higher cost, 802.11a is usually found on business networks whereas 802.11b better serves the home market. 802.11a supports bandwidth up to 54 Mbps and signals in a regulated frequency spectrum around 5 GHz. This higher frequency compared to 802.11b shortens the range of 802.11a networks. The higher frequency also means 802.11a signals have more difficulty penetrating walls and other obstructions. Because 802.11a and 802.11b use different frequencies, the two technologies are incompatible with each other. Some vendors offer hybrid 802.11a/b network gear, but these products merely implement the two standards side by side (each connected device must use one or the other). 802.11a is also referred to as Wi-Fi 2. 802.11b IEEE expanded on the original 802.11 standard in July 1999, creating the 802.11b specification. 802.11b supports a theoretical speed up to 11 Mbps. A more realistic bandwidth of 2 Mbps (TCP) and 3 Mbps (UDP) should be expected. 802.11b uses the same unregulated radio signaling frequency (2.4 GHz) as the original 802.11 standard. Vendors often prefer using these frequencies to lower their production costs. Being unregulated, 802.11b gear can incur interference from microwave ovens, cordless phones, and other appliances using the same 2.4 GHz range. However, by installing 802.11b gear a reasonable distance from other appliances, interference can easily be avoided. 802.11b is also referred to as Wi-Fi 1. What About Bluetooth and the Rest? Aside from these five general-purpose Wi-Fi standards, several other related wireless network technologies offer slightly different value propositions. IEEE 802.11 working group standards like 802.11h and 802.11j are extensions or offshoots of Wi-Fi technology that each serve a very specific purpose. Bluetooth is an alternative wireless network technology that followed a different development path than the 802.11 family. Bluetooth supports a very short range (commonly 10 meters) and relatively low bandwidth (1-3 Mbps in practice) designed for low-power network devices like handhelds. The low manufacturing cost of Bluetooth hardware also appeals to industry vendors. WiMax also was developed separately from Wi-Fi. WiMax is designed for long-range networking (spanning miles or kilometers) as opposed to local area wireless networking. The following IEEE 802.11 standards exist or are in development to support the creation of technologies for wireless local area networking: 802.11a: 54 Mbps standard, 5 GHz signaling (ratified 1999) 802.11b: 11 Mbps standard, 2.4 GHz signaling (1999) 802.11c: Operation of bridge connections (moved to 802.1D) 802.11d: Worldwide compliance with regulations for use of wireless signal spectrum (2001) 802.11e: Quality of Service support (2005) to improve the delivery of delay-sensitive applications, such as Voice Wireless LAN and streaming multimedia 802.11F: Inter-Access Point Protocol recommendation for communication between access points to support roaming clients (2003) 802.11g: 54 Mbps standard, 2.4 GHz signaling (2003) 802.11h: Enhanced version of 802.11a to support European regulatory requirements (2003) 802.11i: Security improvements for the 802.11 family (2004) 802.11j: Enhancements to 5 GHz signaling to support Japan regulatory requirements (2004) 802.11k: WLAN system management 802.11m: Maintenance of 802.11 family documentation 802.11n: 100+ Mbps standard improvements over 802.11g (2009) 802.11p: Wireless Access for the Vehicular Environment 802.11r: Fast roaming support using Basic Service Set transitions 802.11s: ESS mesh networking for access points 802.11T: Wireless Performance Prediction — recommendation for testing standards and metrics 802.11u: Internetworking with cellular and other forms of external networks 802.11v: Wireless network management and device configuration 802.11w: Protected Management Frames security enhancement 802.11y: Contention-Based Protocol for interference avoidance 802.11ac: 3.46Gbps standard, supports 2.4 and 5GHz frequencies through 802.11n 802.11ad: 6.7 Gbps standard, 60 GHz signaling (2012) 802.11ah: Creates extended-range Wi-Fi networks that go beyond the reach of a typical 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz networks 802.11aj: Approved in 2017; primarily for use in China 802.11ax: Approval expected 2018 802.11ay: Approval expected 2019 802.11az: Approval expected 2019 Additional standards that are not mentioned here may also exist. However, they may have been supplanted or canceled and are not relevant to the information in this article. The Official IEEE 802.11 Working Group Project Timelines page is published by IEEE to indicate the status of each of the networking standards under development. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit