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WLAN Industry Standards

The following are brief overviews of various network standards. More detailed information can be obtained by visiting the supplied links.

High Rate Wireless Ethernet (IEEE 802.11b)

This extension to the 802.11 standard allows data rates of 5.5 and 11 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz spectrum. This extension is backwards compatible to the original DSSS 802.11 standard, but adopts a new modulation technique called Complementary Code Keying (CCK) to increase speed.

Learn more about the IEEE's 802.11b standard by visiting their website at http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/11/ - Select Task Group B

  • Frequency Range: 2.4 to 2.4835 GHz
  • Air Access: Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) using Complementary Code Keying (CCK)
  • Data Rate: up to 11 Mbps
  • Compatibility: Compatible to 802.11 DSSS 1 and 2 Mbps systems. Not compatible with 802.11 FHSS, Infrared (Ir) systems or HomeRF
  • Operating Range: depends on installation and obstacles, up to 500 m
  • Applications: all LANs (wireless Ethernet)

5 GHz Wireless LAN/WAN (IEEE 802.11a)

IEEE 802.11a is the IEEE wireless LAN standard that applies to the 5 GHz Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII) band. This standard specifies the use of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) for data transmission at rates up to 54 Mbps.

Learn more about the IEEE's 802.11a Working Group by visiting their website at http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/11/ Select Task Group A

  • Frequency Range: 5.15 to 5.25 GHz (50 mW), 5.25to 5.35 GHz (250 mW) and 5.725 to 5.825 GHz (1 W)
  • Air Access: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)
  • Data Rate: up to 54 Mbps
  • Compatibility: Not compatible with 802.11, 802.11b, HomeRF, HiperLAN/2
  • Operating Range: depends on installation and obstacles
  • Applications: Wide Area Networks and Local Area Networks (data, voice, video)

2.4 GHz/54 Mbps Wireless Ethernet (IEEE 802.11g)

IEEE's 802.11g is being developed to speed raw data rates up to 54 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. IEEE 802.11g is an extension of IEEE 802.11 and will be backward compatible to existing 802.11b and 802.11 systems. A proposed PHY was adopted in November of this year.

Learn more about the IEEE'™s 802.11g Working Group by visiting their website at http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/11/ - Select Task Group G

  • Frequency Range: 2.4 to 2.4835 GHz
  • Air Access: Complementary Code Keying-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (CCK-OFDM)
  • Data Rate: up to 54 Mbps
  • Compatibility: Intended to be compatible with all 802.11 and 802.11b DSSS systems Not compatible with 802.11 FHSS, Infrared (Ir) systems, or HomeRF
  • Operating Range:
  • Applications:

European 5 GHz/54 Mbps WAN (HiperLAN2)

HiperLAN2 is being developed under the European Telecommunications Standardization Institute (ETSI) Broadband Radio Access Networks (BRAN) project. HiperLAN2 is similar to IEEE 802.11a in that both apply to the 5 GHz band and both use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) to attain data rates as high as 54 Mbps.

Learn more about HiperLAN2 by visiting the HiperLAN2Resource Center at http://www.palowireless.com/hiperlan2/about.asp or the HiperLAN2 Global Forum at http://www.hiperlan2.com/

  • Frequency Range: 5.15 to 5.35 GHz and 5.470 to 5.725 GHz
  • Air Access: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)
  • Data Rate: up to 54 Mbps
  • Compatibility: Not compatible to 802.11, 802.11b,802.11g, HomeRF
  • Operating Range: depends on installation and obstacles, 150m maximum
  • Applications: WAN/LAN, packetized voice, video, data

Short Distance Device Interconnectivity (Bluetooth)

Bluetooth is a de facto standard established by a group of manufacturers. Bluetooth is designed to allow laptops, PDAs, cellular phones, and other devices to exchange data in a close-range (10 m max.). Bluetooth uses quick frequency hopping at 1600 hops per second in the 2.4 GHz band and a data rate of 721 kbps. Transmitted power is limited to a very low 1 mW. Bluetooth is intended to be a replacement for Infrared (Ir) and cables.

Learn more about Bluetooth by visiting their website at http://www.bluetooth.com/

  • Frequency Range: 2.400 to 2.4835 GHz
  • Air Access: Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)
  • Data Rate: V1.1 - 721 kbps, V1.2 - 10 Mbps
  • Compatibility: Not compatible with any of the other WLAN standards (802.11, HomeRF, HiperLAN/2
  • Operating Range: 10 meters or a little over 30 ft. maximum
  • Applications: Hands-free wireless phone, PDAs, Laptops (Personal Area Network (PAN))

Fixed Broadband Wireless Access (IEEE 802.16)

The mission of the 802.16 Working Group is to develop standards and recommended practices to support the development and deployment of fixed broadband wireless access systems. IEEE 802.16 is a unit of the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee.

Learn more about IEEE 802.16 at http://www.ieee802.org/16/