Windows Vista®: Home Networking

Glossary

802.11a

Specifies a wireless protocol that operates in the 5-gigahertz (GHz) range in the United States, which has been recently expanded to other frequencies. The 802.11a standard offers an enhanced data speed up to 54 megabits per second (Mbps) and became available after 802.11b.

802.11b

A wireless protocol that boosts data speeds to 11 megabits per second (Mbps) in the frequency range of about 2.4 gigahertz (GHz).

802.11g

A wireless protocol that operates in the 2.4-gigahertz (GHz) band, is compatible with 802.11b devices, and operates at up to 54 megabits per second (Mbps).

802.11n

A higher-speed wireless network standard that is still under development. Several technologies called pre-n technologies claim to offer top speeds of 108, 240, ...