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.
802.11b. International standard for wireless networking that operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency range (2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz) and provides a throughput of up to 11 Mbps. This is a very commonly used frequency. Microwave ovens, cordless phones, medical and scientific equipment, as well as Bluetooth devices, all work within the 2.4 GHz frequency band.
802.11g. Similar to 802.11b, but this standard provides a throughput of up to 54 Mbps. It also operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band but uses a different radio technology in order to boost overall bandwidth.
Access point. A wireless LAN transceiver or “gateway” that can connect a wired LAN to one or many wireless devices. Access points can also bridge to each other. There are various types of access points and base stations used in both wireless and wired networks. These include bridges, hubs, switches, and Gateways. The differences between them are not always precise, because certain capabilities associated with one can also be added to another. For example, a Gateway can do bridging, and a hub may
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