9. Wireless Standards

Part 09 of Computer Networking Fundamentals: Wireless Standards

Wireless Standards

At the end of this episode, I will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast wireless technology standards.

Learner Objective: Compare and contrast wireless technology standards.

Description: In this episode, the learner will be introduced to a variety of wireless specifications and standards.

• Introduction to Network Infrastructure
  • Wireless networking
    • Wireless Standards
      • IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
        • The world's largest association of technical professionals and standards body.
        • Electrical, electronics, telecommunications, computer engineering
      • 802 - is the standards committee that develops and maintains networking
      • Wi-Fi Alliance - a non-profit organization that owns the Wi-Fi trademark. Manufacturers may use the trademark to brand products certified for Wi-Fi interoperability. standards for LANs, MAN, and their wireless counterparts WLAN, WPAN, WMAN as well as Ethernet and bridging technologies.
      • 802.11 - is the standards committee for wireless LAN RF communication standards
      • 802.11a - (1999)released along side .11b, 5 GHz frequency @54Mbps
      • 802.11b - (1999)released along side .11a, 2.4 GHz frequency @11Mbps
      • 802.11g (Wi-Fi 3)- (2003)2.4 GHz @54Mbps, supports backward compatibility with .11b devices
      • 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) - (2009) 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, @600Mbps, supports backward compatibility with all earlier 802.11 standards, increased channel width.
      • 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) - (2014) 5 GHz, @1.3 Gbps-2.3 Gbps
      • 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6/6E) - (2021) 2.4 GHz,5 GHz and 6 GHz, @9.6 Gbps
    • Bluetooth
      • Wireless communication technology operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band
      • Bluetooth 1.* (1999)- 732 Kbps (10m or 32.8 ft)
      • Bluetooth 2.* - (2004) (Enhanced Data Rate or EDR) 3 Mbps (10m or 32.8 ft)
      • Bluetooth 3.0 - (2009) (+ High Speed or +HS) (up to 24 Mbps over Wi-Fi) (10m or 32.8 ft) excessive power consumption
      • Bluetooth 4.* - (2010) (Bluetooth Low Energy or BLE) 1 Mbps (610m or 32.8 ft)
      • Bluetooth 5.* (2016)- 2 Mbps (10m or 32.8 ft)
    • Infrared
      • Short-range line-of-sight communication
      • Specifications are controlled by the Infrared Data Association (IrDA)
      • Standards
        • Serial IrDA (SIR) - 115.2 Kbps
        • Fast IrDA (FIR) - 4 Mbps
        • Very Fast IrDA (VFIR) - 16 Mbps