IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for wireless local area networks (WLANs).

The standards encompass these:

802.11a

• 5 GHz radio frequency
• Up to 54 Mbps transfer
• ~35 meter in-door range

802.11b

• 2.4 GHz radio frequency
• Up to 11 Mbps transfer
• ~35 meter in-door range
• Nearby devices of a similar frequency can cause interference–microwaves, cordless phones, etc.

802.11g

• 2.4 GHz radio frequency
• Up to 54 Mbps transfer
• ~35 meter in-door range
• Nearby devices of a similar frequency can cause interference
• Backwards compatible with 802.11b wireless networks

802.11n (proposed standard amendment)

• 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz radio frequency
• Up to 300 Mbps transfer
• ~70 meter in-door range
• Backwards compatible so far