Wireless Networking Protocols
The WiFi specification 802.11 is part of the IEEE 802 wireless networking standards. It is used for WiFi communications. They all use the Ethernet protocol and Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) media access method. The main characteristics that differentiate them are their operating frequencies, theoretical maximum data speed or throughput.
802.11 WiFi Specification
5 GHz frequency, maximum speed of 7 Gbps. A variation of MIMO, multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), provides greater throughput.
802.11ac
Channels are different frequencies that are used for communications between the end-user device and the wireless access point. The 2.4 GHz range has 14 channels, but the top 3 cannot be used in North America, so we have 11 available channels. Devices will automatically select a channel, but if there seems to be interference, we can manually select another channel. The 5 GHz range also has channels, but there is more room in the RF spectrum at that range, so we never have to set those channels.
Channels 1–11
Z-Wave is one of two wireless protocols (Zigbee being the other) focused on home automation and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It is a personal area network (PAN) protocol. It uses 128-bit AES encryption. It is designed for low power, low speed, and low cost. It operates at 908 MHz with 40 kbps and 9.6 kbps throughput in North America. Transmission range is 30 meters. IT supports up to 232 nodes.
Z-Wave
5 Ghz frequency, maximum speed of 54 Mbps, not much in use today
802.11a
5 GHz frequency, maximum speed of 14 Gbps. Using a 4x4 MIMO environment the result in a total capacity is doubled.
802.11ax
Bluetooth allows devices to communicate over short distances (10 meters) in a Personal Area Network (PAN). It is typically used to connect peripherals such as headphones to a laptop or smartphone. It is the IEEE 802.15.1 standard.
Bluetooth
3G refers to the third generation of cellular phone service. It was introduced in 1998. Mobile broadband and the ability to use the Internet over cellular was first introduced with 3G.
3G
2.4 GHz frequency, maximum speed of 11 Mbps
802.11b
The two operating frequencies for WiFi are 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The frequency has an impact on transmission range and data throughput.
What are the two WiFi Frequencies?
Has a very short range of a few inches. It is used for contactless communications of devices that are right next to one another. The most common use today is for contactless payment systems.
NFC—Near field communication
4G, introduced in 2008 was a significant throughput improvement over 3G.
4G
2.4 GHz frequency, maximum speed of 54 Mbps
802.11g
This relatively low frequency (compared with 5 GHz) has a greater transmission range because it passes through objects such as walls and floors better. On the negative side, throughput is lower and it is an open frequency range that other devices use. Devices like cordless phones and microwave ovens can interfere with it.
2.4Ghz
Uses a radio signal to send information from an RFID tag with identifying information. This is commonly used to streamline inventory of tracking applications.
RFID—Radio frequency identification
5G is the next generation of cellular technology. The infrastructure for 5G is still being deployed. It is expected to bring much greater speeds and improved features.
5G
2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies, maximum speed of 600 Mbps. The boost in throughput is due to the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. It transmits and receives multiple signals that can overcome interference and combine for greater throughput.
802.11n
At this higher frequency, throughput is faster. On the negative side, the transmission range is shorter, as the signal gets attenuated by objects such as walls and floors.
5Ghz
Zigbee is one of two wireless protocols (Z-Wave being the other) focused on home automation and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It is a personal area network (PAN) protocol. It uses 128-bit AES encryption. It is designed for low power, low speed, and low cost. It operates at 2.4 GHz with 250 kbps throughput and 915 MHz with 40 kbps throughput in North America. Transmission range is 10 meters. IT supports up to 65,000 nodes. It is the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.
Zigbee
Is an enhancement to 4G, providing higher speeds and some improvements to features like voice and streaming.
LTE—Long Term Evolution