Side-by-Side Comparison
Wi-Fi
Legacy Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g) vs. Wi-Fi 5
Comparing 2 standards across 15 specifications. 15 key differences identified.
Comparing:
Legacy Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g)
Wi-Fi 5
Legacy IEEE 802.11 standards (802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11g) established commercial consumer wireless networking between 1999 and 2003, transitioning from 11 Mbps DSSS/CCK in the 2.4 GHz band to 54 Mbps OFDM modulation across both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
Wi-Fi 5 (IEEE 802.11ac) was ratified in 2013, operating exclusively in the 5 GHz band. It introduced 80 MHz and 160 MHz channel bonding, 256-QAM modulation, and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) downlink, reaching theoretical maximum data rates up to 6.93 Gbps.
Specification Comparison Table
15 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Frequency Bands
|
2.4 GHz (802.11b/g), 5 GHz (802.11a) | 5 GHz only (2.4 GHz uses 802.11n) |
|
Max Channel Width
|
20 MHz | 160 MHz |
|
Standards Included
|
802.11b (1999), 802.11a (1999), 802.11g (2003) | — |
|
Max Data Rate (802.11b)
|
11 Mbps | — |
|
Max Data Rate (802.11a/g)
|
54 Mbps | — |
|
Modulation Schemes
|
DSSS / CCK (802.11b), OFDM (802.11a/g) | — |
|
Spatial Streams (MIMO)
|
1 (SISO only) | — |
|
IEEE Standard
|
— | IEEE 802.11ac-2013 |
|
Wi-Fi Generation
|
— | Wi-Fi 5 |
|
Ratification Year
|
— | 2013 (Wave 1) / 2016 (Wave 2) |
|
Max Theoretical PHY Rate
|
— | 6.93 Gbps |
|
Typical Client PHY Rate (2x2)
|
— | 866.7 Mbps |
|
Max Spatial Streams (MIMO)
|
— | 8x8 (Wave 2) |
|
Multi-User MIMO
|
— | Downlink Only (DL MU-MIMO in Wave 2) |
|
Modulation Standard
|
— | 256-QAM |