The Standard Wi-Fi Rename Is Much Easier to Remember, Preparing to Welcome Wi-Fi 6

This article examines Standard Wi-Fi Rename Is Much Easier to Remember, Preparing to Welcome Wi-Fi 6. It presents the main facts, practical implications, and key points in a clearer, easier-to-follow format.

Understanding Standard Wi-Fi Rename Is Much Easier to Remember

The Wi-Fi Alliance, which develops and introduces wireless networking standards, is planning a simpler new name change for Wi-Fi from 802.11ax next year. Accordingly, the new standard will be named Wi-Fi 6, which in turn can be called out to old standards like this.

• Wi-Fi 1: 802.11b (1999)
• Wi-Fi 2: 802.11a (1999)
• Wi-Fi 3: 802.11g (2003)
• Wi-Fi 4: 802.11n (2009)
• Wi-Fi 5: 802.11ac (2014)

Thanks to the new name, just by looking at it, ordinary users can understand immediately and know where the new standard is faster.

• Wi-Fi - 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n and 802.11ac standards.

The current name uses the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to monitor the development of electronic standards. The standard is divided into groups, whereby IEEE 802 includes 802.11 internal and network standards including wireless LAN.

The 802.11 group is changed every year, the latest is 802.11-2016 and then the release of additional and modified versions. These modifications are named alphabetically and it is these modified names that are used to name Wi-Fi technology standards.

For example, the standard 802.11-1997 was later modified to 802.11a (54Mbit/s on 5Ghz), 802.11b (11Mbit/s on 2.4Ghz) and 802.11g (54Mbit/s on 2.4Ghz) and respectively the devices was told to support 802.11a/b/g standards. Most of these letters are used to define new features.

802.11ax is a revised version of the 802.11-2016 standard, bringing higher speeds, consuming less battery with bandwidth from 2.4Ghz to 5Ghz. Currently 'draft' 802.11ax devices can support 1.1Gbit/s on 2.4Ghz and 4.8Gbit/s on 5Ghz, the demo machine can reach 11Gbit/s. This standard is expected to launch next year.

The icon mockup indicates the Wi-Fi version is connected.

Now instead of having to wonder if 'ac' or 'n' is better, or if the two versions are compatible, just look at the number. Wi-Fi 5 is newer than Wi-Fi 4, i.e. better. Because Wi-Fi networks are always supportive, Wi-Fi 5 devices can connect to Wi-Fi devices 4.

The Wi-Fi Alliance also says this new change is not just on hardware. They hope to be used on the operating system (not the package) to indicate the level of connectivity of the device. In the future, when connecting to a Wi-Fi network, the device (phone, laptop.) will tell you which Wi-Fi version you are connecting.