802.11

The 802.11 standard defines both how wireless devices communicate and how to secure that communication. The communication standards take on the name of the IEEE subcommittee that sets those standards, such as 802.11b and 802.11n. The original 802.11 standard established the baseline features common to all subsequent Wi-Fi standards. We'll examine 802.11 before exploring variations in 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, and 802.11n. The section wraps up with a discussion on security standards, from authentication to encryption.

All Wi-Fi standards share certain features, such as a wireless network card, special configuration software, and the capability to run in multiple styles of networks. In addition, Wi-Fi implementations require a shared network name and channel for communication. Each standard has a certain top speed and range of networking capability. Finally, 802.11 defines how transmissions work, so we'll look at frequencies of radio signals, transmission methods, and collision avoidance.