You are likely familiar with the term “Wi-Fi” and may even encounter it daily. You see it on your smartphone display, PC, and gaming devices. You see it listed in stores, coffee shops, and offices. You may even have Wi-Fi in your car. But have you ever wondered what the term Wi-Fi means? Here’s everything there is to know about the Wi-Fi protocol, from what it is to how it began and its latest iterations.
What Is Wi-Fi, Anyway?
Wi-Fi stands for wireless fidelity. If that sounds odd, it’s because the name has little to do with the protocol it describes. It dates back to 1999 to the marketing group representing the tech firms that developed the original wireless networking protocol. The group’s name was the Wireless Fidelity Alliance, and the original protocol’s technical name was IEEE 802.11. It’s the ancestor of every wireless computer networking technology used today throughout the world.
What Is a Protocol?
A protocol is a predefined set of rules governing a system’s functions. In the case of 802.11, it’s a set of machine access control (MAC) and physical layer rules and specifications. Together, they instruct designers on how to create interoperable wireless local area networks (WLANs).
The original 802.11 protocol included transmissions using the 2.4 GHz frequency band, forward error correction, and multi-frequency hopping. The protocol enabled the building of wireless networks capable of 2 Mbps data throughput. By today’s standards, that’s too slow to be useful in almost any application. Fortunately, Wi-Fi protocols continued to evolve after that, leading to the fast Wi-Fi networks we rely on today.
Today’s Wi-Fi Protocols
These days, it’s rare to find a Wi-Fi network operating on anything older than the 802.11n protocol. However, this is old enough to be considered obsolete by most. When it debuted in 2009, 802.11n brought several essential enhancements over its predecessors.
For one thing, 802.11n was the first Wi-Fi protocol to use both the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands. It also supported simultaneous multi-channel operation and multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) antenna arrays. Plus, it could use channel widths of 20 or 40 MHz. Those advancements made 802.11n devices capable of 600 Mbps peak throughput rates. It also boasted improved signal penetration in noisy radio environments compared to its predecessors.
By far, however, the dominant version of the Wi-Fi protocol used today is 802.11ac. This version can use channel widths of up to 160 MHz. That’s the equivalent of using eight channels simultaneously to achieve maximum speeds. As a result, 802.11ac devices can reach peak throughput rates of 3.5 Gbps.
The Future of Wi-Fi Protocols
If you’re wondering what the next generation of Wi-Fi protocols will be, you won’t have to wait to find out. There are already two existing protocols that succeed 802.11ac. The first, released in 2019, is 802.11ax. It uses similar approaches to its predecessor but refines transmission methods to achieve up to 9.6 Gbps data rates. That’s fast enough to rival the speed of the average wired network today.
The second protocol is called 802.11be. With an expected release date in 2024, it will be the latest Wi-Fi protocol on the market. Notably, it includes using the 6 GHz frequency band for the first time. Plus, 802.11be widens the maximum channel width to 320 MHz, increasing throughput capacity further. As a result, 802.11be networking equipment should enable 40 Gbps or greater transmission speeds.
The Backbone of Modern Networking
Now that you understand the Wi-Fi protocol, consider allowing GVEC Internet to help you maximize its advantages. Since 1998, we’ve offered affordable high-speed internet services to residents and businesses in South Central Texas. We offer residential and business service plans.
That includes both fiber optic and wireless internet options to meet every need. Plus, we offer expert 24/7 troubleshooting to offer you help when you need it and no data limit. If you need reliable internet service in South Central Texas, call GVEC Internet today, and we’ll get you connected.
