Specifications

Glossary 911
Glossary
10BaseT*
An IEEE standard (802.3) for operating 10 Mbps Ethernet
networks (LANs) with twisted pair cabling and a wiring hub.
802.11 standard*
802.11, or IEEE 802.11, is a type of radio technology used for
wireless local area networks (Wireless LANs). It is a standard that
has been developed by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers), http://standards.ieee.org. The IEEE is an
international organization that develops standards for hundreds
of electronic and electrical technologies. The organization uses a
series of numbers, like the Dewey Decimal system in libraries, to
differentiate between the various technology families.
The 802 subgroup (of the IEEE) develops standards for local and
wide area networks with the 802.11 section reviewing and
creating standards for wireless local area networks.
Wi-Fi, 802.11, is composed of several standards operating in
different radio frequencies: 802.11b is a standard for wireless
LANs operating in the 2.4 GHz spectrum with a bandwidth of 11
Mbps; 802.11a is a different standard for wireless LANs, and
pertains to systems operating in the 5 GHz frequency range with
a bandwidth of 54 Mbps. Another standard, 802.11g, is for
Wireless LANS operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency but with a
bandwidth of 54 Mbps.
802.11a*
An IEEE specification for wireless networking that operates in the
5 GHz frequency range (5.725 GHz to 5.850 GHz) with a
maximum 54 Mbps data transfer rate. The 5 GHz frequency band
is not as crowded as the 2.4 GHz frequency, because the 802.11a
specification offers more radio channels than the 802.11b. These
additional channels can help avoid radio and microwave
interference.