Symbols

Symbols

10BASE-T Ethernet

Standard for wired networks that use phone-like plugs.

3G

A catch-all term used to refer to a proprietary high-speed wireless network using spectrums leased by telecommunications carriers that is proposed and/or has partially been developed.

802.11

The general standard for wireless networking, defined by the IEEE.

802.11a

A relatively new version of the 802.11 wireless standard that is faster than 802.11b (it runs at speeds up to 20 Mbps) and uses the 5GHz spectrum. 802.11a is not backward-compatible with 802.11b, the predominant "flavor" of Wi-Fi.

802.11b

Predominant current flavor of 802.11 wireless networking, or Wi-Fi. 802.11b uses the 2.4GHz spectrum and has a theoretical speed of 11 Mbps.

802.11g

A version of the 802.11 wireless standard that is newer and faster than 802.11b. 802.11g runs on the 2.4GHz spectrum, is backward-compatible with 802.11b, and has a theoretical speed of 54 Mbps.

802.11i

The name given by the Wi-Fi Alliance to its proposed new security standard, also called "Wi-Fi Protected Access."

802.11n

A new 802.11 wireless standard that promises to deliver speeds of up to 100 Mbps using both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrums. So far, 802.11n has not yet received IEEE approval, and the details of the standard are still up in the air.