Wireless Networking Standards

Use this chart to get some quick information to help you differentiate between the available wireless networking standards and choose which standard might be the right fit for your business. See the links below the chart for further information on wireless networking standards.

Standard	Data Rate	Modulation Scheme	Security	Pros/Cons & More Info
IEEE 802.11	Up to 2Mbps in the 2.4GHz band	FHSS or DSSS	WEP & WPA	This specification has been extended into 802.11b.
IEEE 802.11a (Wi-Fi)	Up to 54Mbps in the 5GHz band	OFDM	WEP & WPA	Products that adhere to this standard are considered "Wi-Fi Certified." Eight available channels. Less potential for RF interference than 802.11b and 802.11g. Better than 802.11b at supporting multimedia voice, video and large-image applications in densely populated user environments. Relatively shorter range than 802.11b. Not interoperable with 802.11b.
IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi)	Up to 11Mbps in the 2.4GHz band	DSSS with CCK	WEP & WPA	Products that adhere to this standard are considered "Wi-Fi Certified." Not interoperable with 802.11a. Requires fewer access points than 802.11a for coverage of large areas. Offers high-speed access to data at up to 300 feet from base station. 14 channels available in the 2.4GHz band (only 11 of which can be used in the U.S. due to FCC regulations) with only three non-overlapping channels.
IEEE 802.11g (Wi-Fi)	Up to 54Mbps in the 2.4GHz band	OFDM above 20Mbps, DSSS with CCK below 20Mbps	WEP & WPA	Products that adhere to this standard are considered "Wi-Fi Certified." May replace 802.11b. Improved security enhancements over 802.11. Compatible with 802.11b. 14 channels available in the 2.4GHz band (only 11 of which can be used in the U.S. due to FCC regulations) with only three non-overlapping channels.
IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX)	Specifies WiMAX in the 10 to 66 GHz range	OFDM	DES3 and AES	Commonly referred to as WiMAX or less commonly as WirelessMAN or the Air Interface Standard, IEEE 802.16 is a specification for fixed broadband wireless metropolitan access networks (MANs)
IEEE 802.16a (WiMAX)	Added support for the 2 to 11 GHz range.	OFDM	DES3 and AES	Commonly referred to as WiMAX or less commonly as WirelessMAN or the Air Interface Standard, IEEE 802.16 is a specification for fixed broadband wireless metropolitan access networks (MANs)
Bluetooth	Up to 2Mbps in the 2.45GHz band	FHSS	PPTP, SSL or VPN	No native support for IP, so it does not support TCP/IP and wireless LAN applications well. Not originally created to support wireless LANs. Best suited for connecting PDAs, cell phones and PCs in short intervals.
HomeRF	Up to 10Mbps in the 2.4GHZ band	FHSS	Independent network IP addresses for each network. Data is sent with a 56-bit encryption algorithm.	Note: HomeRF is no longer being supported by any vendors or working groups. Intended for use in homes, not enterprises. Range is only 150 feet from base station. Relatively inexpensive to set up and maintain. Voice quality is always good because it continuously reserves a chunk of bandwidth for voice services. Responds well to interference because of frequency-hopping modulation.
HiperLAN/1 (Europe)	Up to 20Mbps in the 5GHz band	CSMA/CA	Per-session encryption and individual authentication.	Only in Europe. HiperLAN is totally ad-hoc, requiring no configuration and no central controller. Doesn't provide real isochronous services. Relatively expensive to operate and maintain. No guarantee of bandwidth.
HiperLAN/2 (Europe)	Up to 54Mbps in the 5GHz band	OFDM	Strong security features with support for individual authentication and per-session encryption keys.	Only in Europe. Designed to carry ATM cells, IP packets, Firewire packets (IEEE 1394) and digital voice (from cellular phones). Better quality of service than HiperLAN/1 and guarantees bandwidth.
OpenAir	Pre-802.11 protocol, using Frequency Hopping and 0.8 and 1.6 Mb/s bit rate	CSMA/CA with MAC retransmissions	OpenAir doesn't implement any encryption at the MAC layer, but generates Network ID based on a password (Security ID)	OpenAir is the proprietary protocol from Proxim. All OpenAir products are based on Proxim's module.

Last updated: September 02, 2005

For more information on wireless networking standards, visit the following links:

• 802.11 Planet Live: The latest wireless news from Jupitermedia's 802.11 Planet Conference and Expo.
  
• 802.11 Planet: A source for Wi-Fi- news and technology.
  
• Wireless Networking Reference - Standards: An index of wireless networking resources on the Web from Practically Networked.
• WLAN Management Considerations: Installing a WLAN means it has to be managed.
• Understanding WLAN Routers: Why even use a WLAN router?
• Maximizing WLAN Performance: The need for higher data rates and techniques to improve performance of WLANs is becoming crucial to support data-intense applications.
• Wireless Home Networking - Wi-Fi Standards: How to choose?
• 802.11 Mobility Research: Find information here on Jupitermedia's research into 802.11.
• Setting Up a Secure Wireless Network : What you need to know to keep your WLAN secure.