🌐

Wireless Networking Overview

Jun 11, 2025,

Overview

This lecture covers the main types of wireless networking, including Wi-Fi standards, mobile networks (4G/5G), and satellite networking, focusing on their standards, capabilities, and practical considerations.

Wi-Fi Standards and Organizations

  • Wireless networking follows the IEEE 802.11 standard, commonly known as Wi-Fi.
  • The Wi-Fi Alliance certifies devices for interoperability with IEEE standards, marked by the Wi-Fi trademark.
  • Standards formerly named as 802.11b, 802.11ax, etc., now use generational names like Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7.
  • The first three standards (802.11a, b, g) are rarely used and have informal names Wi-Fi 1–3.
  • Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 7 correspond to standards 802.11n through 802.11be.
  • Wi-Fi standards use different frequency ranges: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz.
  • Newer Wi-Fi standards increase the maximum theoretical link rate and may offer more antennas or radios.

Mobile Wireless Networks (4G/5G)

  • 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) unified previous mobile standards, allowing 150 Mbps download speeds, LTE Advanced doubles this to 300 Mbps.
  • 5G, launched in 2020, targets speeds up to 10 Gbps, with common speeds between 100–900 Mbps.
  • 5G enables bandwidths similar to wired home networks and supports expanded IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity.

Satellite Networking

  • Satellite networking provides Internet where terrestrial connections are unavailable, using satellite dishes.
  • Typical satellite speeds: 100 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up.
  • Traditional satellite latency: 250 ms up and down (total 500 ms per round trip).
  • Starlink and newer tech target lower latency (e.g., 40 ms, with goals of 20 ms).
  • Requires clear line of sight; performance is affected by obstacles and weather (e.g., rain fade).

Key Terms & Definitions

  • IEEE 802.11 — The family of standards for Wi-Fi wireless networking.
  • Wi-Fi Alliance — Organization certifying device interoperability per IEEE standards.
  • Wi-Fi 4/5/6/7 — Generational names for 802.11n/ac/ax/be standards.
  • 4G LTE — Fourth-generation mobile network; Long-Term Evolution technology.
  • 5G — Fifth-generation mobile network, offering higher speeds and faster connectivity.
  • IoT (Internet of Things) — Devices connected to the Internet for data sharing and automation.
  • Satellite Networking — Internet connectivity via communication satellites.
  • Line of Sight — Unobstructed path required between a satellite and receiver.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Review the chart listing all Wi-Fi standards, frequencies, and link rates.
  • Check which Wi-Fi generation your current devices support.
  • Read more about the effects of latency and bandwidth on network performance.

Full transcript