This weekend I purchased a new Wireless N router for home and a wireless N network card. A friend of mine asked me to explain the difference in the different types of wireless standards. I thought I would take the time to do so here so people can understand why their are different standards and speeds.
1. B Standard/802.11B
This standard runs at 2.4GHZ. This standard support bandwidths of up to 11 Megabytes per second.
The big issue with the B network standard is that it is on an unregulated band. 2.4 GHZ is a common band for blue tooth, cordless phone signals and even Microwaves. As a result interference its very common in a home or business.
2. G Standard/802.11G
This standard also runs at 2.4GHz. The standard supports speed of up to 54 Megabytes per second. The G standard has the same concerns as the B standard by being on an unregulated band and with interference. This standard is the most common standard in use today.
3. N Standard/802.11N
This standard is currently a draft standard and not yet finalized. The standard runs on the 5.0 GHZ band and/or the 2.4 GHZ band. As a result the standard is not subject to the same interference issues as the B and G standards. This standard runs at speeds up to to 600 Megabits per second.
It is also worth noting that you can use a network device further from the closest access point then either the B or the G standard since the signal travels further.
Compatibility of Standards
The one thing worth noting is that if you have a G router you will need a G network Adapter to take full advantage of the G standard. The same for the other 2 standards.
The standards are backward compatible. A N network Adapter will work with a G router for example but with out all the speed enhancements of the N standard. The same holds true with the G and B standards.
Most Standards are backward compatible.
