| 802.11 |
1997 |
2.4 GHz |
2 Mbps |
The first Wi-Fi standard, now obsolete. |
| 802.11a |
1999 |
5 GHz |
54 Mbps |
Faster but shorter range than 802.11b. |
| 802.11b |
1999 |
2.4 GHz |
11 Mbps |
Popular in early Wi-Fi routers. |
| 802.11g |
2003 |
2.4 GHz |
54 Mbps |
Backward compatible with 802.11b. |
| 802.11n |
2009 |
2.4 & 5 GHz |
600 Mbps (theoretical) |
Introduced MIMO (multiple antennas). |
| 802.11ac |
2014 |
5 GHz |
1 Gbps+ |
Faster speeds with beamforming and wider channels. |
| 802.11ax |
2019 (Wi-Fi 6) |
2.4 & 5 GHz |
9.6 Gbps (theoretical) |
Improved performance in dense environments. |
| 802.11be |
Expected 2024 |
2.4, 5, 6 GHz |
30 Gbps (theoretical) |
Known as Wi-Fi 7, focuses on ultra-low latency. |