| Generation | IEEE standard |
Adopted | Maximum link rate (Mb/s) |
Radio frequency (GHz) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi 8 | 802.11bn | 2028[1] | 100 000[2] | 2.4, 5, 6[3] |
| Wi-Fi 7 | 802.11be | not yet completed | 0.4–23 059 | 2.4, 5, 6[4] |
| Wi-Fi 6E | 802.11ax | 2021 | 0.4–9608[5] | 2.4, 5, 6[a] |
| Wi-Fi 6 | 2.4, 5 | |||
| Wi-Fi 5 | 802.11ac | 2013 | 6.5–6933 | 5[b] |
| Wi-Fi 4 | 802.11n | 2009 | 6.5–600 | 2.4, 5 |
| (Wi-Fi 3)* | 802.11g | 2003 | 6–54 | 2.4 |
| (Wi-Fi 2)* | 802.11a | 1999 | 5 | |
| (Wi-Fi 1)* | 802.11b | 1999 | 1–11 | 2.4 |
| (Wi-Fi 0)* | 802.11 | 1997 | 1–2 | 2.4 |
| *Wi‑Fi 0, 1, 2, and 3 are named by retroactive inference. They do not exist in the official nomenclature.[6][7][8] | ||||
IEEE 802.11 (legacy mode) – or more correctly IEEE 802.11-1997 or IEEE 802.11-1999 – refer to the original version of the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standard released in 1997 and clarified in 1999. Most of the protocols described by this early version are rarely used today.
- ^ Reshef, Ehud; Cordeiro, Carlos (2023). "Future Directions for Wi-Fi 8 and Beyond". IEEE Communications Magazine. 60 (10). IEEE. doi:10.1109/MCOM.003.2200037. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
- ^ "What is Wi-Fi 8?". everythingrf.com. March 25, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ Giordano, Lorenzo; Geraci, Giovanni; Carrascosa, Marc; Bellalta, Boris (November 21, 2023). "What Will Wi-Fi 8 Be? A Primer on IEEE 802.11bn Ultra High Reliability". arXiv:2303.10442.
- ^ "Understanding Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E/7". wiisfi.com.
- ^ "MCS table (updated with 80211ax data rates)". semfionetworks.com.
- ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (2018-10-03). "Wi-Fi Now Has Version Numbers, and Wi-Fi 6 Comes Out Next Year". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
- ^ Phillips, Gavin (18 January 2021). "The Most Common Wi-Fi Standards and Types, Explained". MUO - Make Use Of. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ "Wi-Fi Generation Numbering". ElectronicsNotes. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
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