Wireless Technology Standards

Because there are multiple technology standards for wireless networking, it pays to do your homework before buying any equipment. The most common wireless technology standards include the following :

• 802.11b: The first widely used wireless networking technology, known as 802.11b (more commonly called Wi-Fi), first debuted almost a decade ago, but is still in use.
• 802.11g: In 2003, a follow-on version called 802.11g appeared offering greater performance (that is, speed and range) and remains today's most common wireless networking technology.
• 802.11n: Another improved standard called 802.11n is currently under development and is scheduled to be complete in 2009. But even though the 802.11n standard has yet to be finalized, you can still buy products based on the draft 802.11n standard, which you will be able to upgrade later to the final standard.

All of the Wi-Fi variants (802.11b, g and n products) use the same 2.4 GHz radio frequency, and as a result are designed to be compatible with each other, so you can usually use devices based on the different standards within the same wireless network. The catch is that doing so often requires special configuration to accommodate the earlier devices, which in turn can reduce the overall performance of the network. In an ideal scenario you'll want all your wireless devices, the access point and all wireless-capable computers, to be using the same technology standard and to be from the same vendor whenever possible.