List of Wi-Fi Protocols

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For more information about standard-compliant (IEEE 802.11) Wi-Fi protocols, see IEEE 802.11 on Wikipedia.

Standard and non-standard (proprietary) Wi-Fi protocols and extensions:

NCR / AT&T / Lucent proprietary, 900MHz / 2.4GHz ISM
2.4GHz 1, 2Mbps only, DSSS / FHSS, aka IEEE 802.11-1997 or IEEE 802.11-1999
  • Whitecap - Cirrus Logic / ShareWave proprietary extension to 802.11, QOS oriented
  • 802.11a (1999) - 5GHz, 54Mbps, OFDM
  • 802.11b (1999) - 2.4GHz, 1, 2, 5.5, 11Mbps, DSSS, CCK
  • 802.11b+ - Texas Instruments proprietary extension to 802.11b. 22Mbps.
Also known as Packet Binary Convolutional Code (PBCC) technology, PBCC-22, b+ [1]
different MAC (dynamic TDMA similar to modern LTE standard)
Also marketed as: 108G Technology, 108Mbps 802.11g, and Xtreme G, Turbo G. A similar concept became part of 802.11n (HT 40MHz).
Also known as: 125HSM, Afterburner, 125Mbps 802.11g, SpeedBooster, Turbo G, G Plus, MAXg.
A similar concept became part of 802.11n (WME).
  • G++ Technology - Texas Instruments proprietary 802.11g extension, 125MBps, packet bursting etc.
Also marketed as: g+ SuperSpeed [3]
Frame bursting, etc. 140Mbps, also marketed as: DirectLink
  • True MIMO - Airgo Networks proprietary MIMO extension to 802.11g. A similar concept became part of 802.11n.
Also marketed as: SRX (Speed and Range eXpansion). Not compatible with pre-n / draft-n / final 802.11n standard.
  • WAPI - (2003-2011) Chinese Wi-Fi standard; officially, the implementation was mandatory for Wi-Fi products in China;
rarely used in practice; withdrawn in 2011 WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure on Wikipedia
  • WirelessHD aka UltraGig - (2008) Proprietary 60GHz standard by SiBeam (became Silicon Image, later Lattice)
  • pre-n - (2005-6) an even earlier version of draft-n...
  • draft-n - (2007) Compatible with the final IEEE 802.11n standard up to MIMO 2x2
  • 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) - (2009) 72Mbps (20MHz), 150Mbps (HT 40MHz), 300Mbps (HT 40MHz MIMO), 450Mbps (MIMO 3x3)
  • 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) - (2013) 450/600Mbps (2.4GHz) & 1300/1750Mbps (5GHz), MIMO up to 4x4, 80MHz channel
  • 802.11ac Wave 2 - (2014) MU-MIMO, MIMO up to 8x8, 160MHz channel
  • 802.11ad aka WiGig - (2012) 6.75Gbps (60GHz) Wireless Gigabit Alliance on Wikipedia
  • 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) - (2019) MU-MIMO, 2.4/5 GHz, MIMO up to 8x8, 160MHz channel
  • 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E) - (2020) MU-MIMO, 2.4/5/6 GHz, MIMO up to 8x8, 160MHz channel

Unless noted, proprietary protocols are not compatible with each other (for example TI G++ 125Mbps is not compatible with Broadcom 125Mbps HSM).

802.11 network standards

802.11
protocol
Release
date
Frequency Bandwidth Stream
data rate
Allowable
MIMO
streams
Modulation Appr. range
Indoor Outdoor
(GHz) (MHz) (Mbps) (m) (m)
802.11-1997
(legacy mode)
Jun 1997 2.4 22 1, 2 N/A DSSS,
FHSS
20m 100m
802.11a
(Wi-Fi 1)
Sep 1999 5 20 6, 9, 12, 18,
24, 36, 48, 54
N/A OFDM 35m 120m
3.7 5000m
802.11b
(Wi-Fi 2)
Sep 1999 2.4 22 1, 2,
5.5, 11
N/A DSSS 35m 140m
802.11g
(Wi-Fi 3)
Jun 2003 2.4 20 6, 9, 12, 18,
24, 36, 48, 54
N/A OFDM,
DSSS
38m 140m
802.11n
(Wi-Fi 4)
Oct 2009 2.4 / 5 HT20 7.2, 14.4, 21.7, 28.9,
43.3, 57.8, 65, 72.2}
(6.5, 13, 19.5, 26,
39, 52, 58.5, 65}
4 OFDM 70m 250m
HT40 15, 30, 45, 60,
90, 120, 135, 150
(13.5, 27, 40.5, 54,
81, 108, 121.5, 135}
70m 250m
802.11ac
(Wi-Fi 5)
Dec 2013 5.2 / 5.8 VHT20 7.2, 14.4, 21.7, 28.9, 43.3,
57.8, 65, 72.2, 86.7, 96.3
(6.5, 13, 19.5, 26, 39,
52, 58.5, 65, 78, 86.7}
8 35m
VHT40 15, 30, 45, 60, 90,
120, 135, 150, 180, 200
(13.5, 27, 40.5, 54, 81,
108, 121.5, 135, 162, 180}
35m
VHT80 32.5, 65, 97.5, 130, 195,
260, 292.5, 325, 390, 433.3
(29.2, 58.5, 87.8, 117, 175.5,
234, 263.2, 292.5, 351, 390}
35m
VHT160 65, 130, 195, 260, 390,
520, 585, 650, 780, 866.7
(58.5, 117, 175.5, 234,
351, 468, 702, 780}
35m
802.11ax
(Wi-Fi 6)
Est. 2019 2.4 / 5 HE80,
HE160
Up to 10.530 (10.53 Gbit/s) 8 MIMO-OFDM 50 -
802.11ad
(Wi-Fi 7)
Dec 2012 60 GHz
mmWave
2.160 Up to 6.912 (6.75 Gbit/s) N/A OFDM,
single carrier,
(low-power)
60 100
802.11aj Apr 2018 45/60 GHz
mmWave
540/1.080 Up to 15.000 (15 Gbit/s) 4 OFDM,
single carrier
- -
802.11ay Est. 2020 60 GHz
mmWave
8000 Up to 20.000 (20 Gbit/s) 4 OFDM,
single carrier
10 100
802.11ah Dec 2016 0.7~0.9 1–16 Up to 8.67 (@2MHz) 4 MIMO-OFDM - -
802.11af Feb 2014 0.054~0.79 6–8 Up to 568.9 4 MIMO-OFDM - -

References