Networking standards: 802.11g | 802.11b | 802.11a | Dual band | Bluetooth | HomePlug | Ethernet Network standards at a glance

802.11g

The 802.11g standard, long touted as the high-performance successor to 802.11b, was ratified in June 2003, but networking manufacturers flooded the market with 802.11g gear months before the final specification was approved as a standard. Most of the gear that was sold prior to ratification will need a firmware upgrade to bring it up to the final spec. 802.11g has two features that many believe will make it the new dominant Wi-Fi standard: great throughput at around 22Mbps and backward compatibility with 802.11b. That's right; 802.11g operates at the same frequency as 802.11b (2.4GHz) and is backward compatible with the granddaddy of Wi-Fi specs. This makes 802.11g the obvious choice not only for anyone building a new network, but also for those interested in adding onto or gradually upgrading a preexisting 802.11b network. The only downside to 802.11g is the fact that it uses a crowded slice of the spectrum, with room for only three nonoverlapping channels. This will make 802.11a a better choice for some environments, especially those populated with devices that share the 2.4GHz spectrum, such as cordless phones, baby monitors, microwave ovens, and Bluetooth radios.

802.11g facts

• Better range than that of 802.11a products

• Much faster than 802.11b products

• Low cost

• Subject to interference from other 2.4GHz devices

• Only three nonoverlapping channels

802.11b

The price of 802.11b gear has dropped dramatically over the last year. This gear operates at 2.4GHz and offers a real-world throughput of around 5Mbps at close range. In a typical indoor environment, without a lot of metal, 802.11b equipment can generally maintain a solid connection up to about 150 feet. It is also fully compatible with the faster 802.11g standard. The weaknesses of 802.11b are its comparatively low throughput and the potential for interference with other gadgets that share the 2.4GHz band, such as cordless phones, security radios, and microwaves.

802.11b facts

• Better range than 802.11a products

• More than adequate throughput for broadband sharing at around 5Mbps

• Slower than 802.11a and 802.11g

• Broad compatibility

• Low cost

• Subject to interference from other 2.4GHz devices

• Only three nonoverlapping channels

802.11a

The 802.11a standard has a couple of advantages over the more prevalent 802.11g. It runs at a less populated frequency (5.15GHz to 5.35GHz), making it less prone to interference, and its practical throughput is about four times greater than that of 802.11b, typically clocking in at around 22Mbps. This gives it a lot more elbowroom than 802.11b for streaming digital audio and video or transferring large files over the network, with bandwidth left over for Internet sharing. Some manufacturers offer proprietary turbo modes that can push throughput even higher. 802.11a's downside is its shorter range. Because 802.11g and 802.11a operate at different frequencies, they can't talk directly to one another, which is why if you have an 802.11a adapter, you cannot connect to most hot spots. Another weakness is the increased power drain of the 5GHz radio, as compared to its 2.4GHz counterparts.

802.11a facts

• Great throughput at around 22Mbps or higher

• Operates at 5GHz

• Low risk of interference from other devices

• Eight nonoverlapping channels

• Higher cost than that of 802.11b and 802.11g

Dual band

Wouldn't it be nice if you could get all of the 802.11 standards into a single device? The latest wave of dual-band networking equipment gives you just that. 802.11a/b/g gear operates at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz and gives you the advantages of all three standards. You get the speed and the resistance to interference of 802.11a, the broad compatibility and the increased range of 802.11b, and the increased throughput of 802.11g--but you pay for it. Dual-band gear can cost more than twice as much as its single-band counterparts, but for some, the added flexibility will be worth the heftier price tag.

Dual-band facts

• Compatibility with all 802.11 standards

• Combines the fast throughput of both 802.11g and 802.11a

• All-in-one solution

• A combined total of 11 nonoverlapping channel