Wireless Glossary
March 6, 2006
News Story by Computerworld staff
MARCH 03, 2006 (COMPUTERWORLD) -
802.11
A group of wireless specifications developed by the IEEE. It details a wireless interface between devices to manage packet traffic (to avoid collisions, etc.) Some common specifications and their distinctive attributes include the following:
802.11a — Operates in the 5-GHz frequency range (5.125 to 5.85 GHz) with a maximum 54Mbit/sec. signaling rate. The 5-GHz frequency band isn’t as crowded as the 2.4-GHz frequency because it offers significantly more radio channels than the 802.11b and is used by fewer applications. It has a shorter range than 802.11g, is actually newer than 802.11b and isn’t compatible with 802.11b.
802.11b — Operates in the 2.4-GHz Industrial, Scientific and Measurement (ISM) band (2.4 to 2.4835 GHz) and provides signaling rates of up to 11Mbit/sec. This is a very commonly used frequency. Microwave ovens, cordless phones, medical and scientific equipment, as well as Bluetooth devices, all work within the 2.4-GHz ISM band.
802.11e — Ratified by the IEEE in late September of 2005, the 802.11e quality-of-service specification is designed to guarantee the quality of voice and video traffic. It will be particularly important for companies interested in using Wi-Fi phones.
802.11g — Similar to 802.11b, but this standard supports signaling rates of up to 54Mbit/sec. It also operates in the heavily used 2.4-GHz ISM band but uses a different radio technology to boost overall throughput. Compatible with older 802.11b.
802.11i — Also sometimes called Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA 2), 802.11i was ratified in June 2004. WPA 2 supports the 128-bit -and-above Advanced Encryption Standard, along with 802.1x authentication and key management features.
802.11k — Predicted for ratification in mid-2006, the 802.11k Radio Resource Management standard will provide measurement information for access points and switches to make wireless LANs run more efficiently. It may, for example, better distribute traffic loads across access points or allow dynamic adjustments of transmission power to minimize interference.
802.11n — The Standard for Enhancements for Higher Throughput is designed to raise effective WLAN throughput to more than 100Mbit/sec. Final ratification is expected in late 2006.
802.11r — Expected to be ratified in mid to late 2006, the 802.11r Fast Roaming standard will address maintaining connectivity as a user moves from one access point to another. This is especially important in applications that need low latency and high quality-of-service standards such as voice-over-WLAN.
802.11s — This standard will deal with mesh networking. It is predicted to be ratified in mid-2008.
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