Chapter 1
IT Concepts and Terminology
Course: Comptia Tech Fc0 U71
Subject: Comptia Tech Fc0U71
Chapter: Infrastructure
A small wireless network—like those found in homes, small offices, or classrooms—enables wireless connectivity for devices such as laptops, smartphones, smart TVs, printers, and IoT gadgets. Its performance and reliability depend on the Wi-Fi standards, frequency bands, and environmental factors.
1. Wi-Fi Standards: 802.11n / ac / ax
The 802.11 family of IEEE wireless networking standards governs how devices connect over the air using radio waves. The 802.11n, 802.11ac, and 802.11ax standards (also known as Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, and Wi-Fi 6) represent the most common and modern implementations in home and small business wireless networks.
Each successive standard introduces significant improvements in terms of speed, network efficiency, capacity, and interference handling.
a. Speed Considerations
| Standard | Frequency Band(s) | Max Theoretical Speed | Typical Real-World Speed | Key Features | | 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) | 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz | Up to 600 Mbps (with 4 spatial streams) | ~100–150 Mbps | Introduced MIMO, channel bonding, dual-band support | | 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) | 5 GHz only | Up to 1.3 Gbps (Wave 1) 3.5 Gbps+ (Wave 2) | ~200–600 Mbps | Added MU-MIMO, beamforming, 80/160 MHz channels | | 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz (and 6 GHz in Wi-Fi 6E) | Up to 9.6 Gbps (theoretical max) | ~800 Mbps – 1.5 Gbps | Introduced OFDMA, BSS coloring, TWT, improved MU-MIMO |