Wi-Fi Alliance announces naming scheme shakeup

[HEXUS]

For example, the upcoming 802.11ax technology will be identified as Wi-Fi 6.

Read more.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Good.

[PC-LAD]

Fancy, Now we get numbers to describe what adapter is used to run our wireless networks XD

[Dashers]

WiFi alliance, perhaps?

[Irien]

They need a re-think on that "sample user interface" images. After years of "802.11xxx" they look like numerical representations of signal strength.

If an average user saw that, they have been trained to see the concentric circle segments indicate signal strength. If you put a number on it, that's likely to be seen as a numeric representation of that strength. Not a "generation".

[peterb]

WiFi alliance, perhaps?

Made me smile!

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

They need a re-think on that "sample user interface" images. After years of "802.11xxx" they look like numerical representations of signal strength.

If an average user saw that, they have been trained to see the concentric circle segments indicate signal strength. If you put a number on it, that's likely to be seen as a numeric representation of that strength. Not a "generation".

Doesn't the newer variants have better range on top of the speed?? Not been really following wifi developments myself especially when most routers shipped from ISPs are years behind.

[LSG501]

I like the simplification of classification but we all know that it's not going to end up being this simple, you just need to look at 802.11ac with it's varying speed ratings and even the way some designate the device speeds....

[peterb]

Title edited

[philehidiot]

They need a re-think on that "sample user interface" images. After years of "802.11xxx" they look like numerical representations of signal strength.

If an average user saw that, they have been trained to see the concentric circle segments indicate signal strength. If you put a number on it, that's likely to be seen as a numeric representation of that strength. Not a "generation".

Yeh, I agree with this. I'd personally just subtract the numbering system and have "N, C, AX" and then the bars behind it. Also bear in mind, however, that your average user has little concept of the idea of multple specifications of wifi. It's wifi and that's that. The rest is all magic and pixies.

[aidanjt]

Reuse USB versioning, even if everything is WiFi x.0, that's fine, people will identify that as versioning. Although often we get WiFi extensions, so that can be worked in.

[me-yeah]

2.5 and 5ghz are good enough names for me

[spacein_vader]

2.5 and 5ghz are good enough names for me

2.4ghz .n and .b are very different.

[me-yeah]

2.4ghz .n and .b are very different.

not really, they just use different radio spectrums, the government finally allow the public to use, the higher the hz, the faster the connection and data rate will be, which is the same for 3G, 4G, 5G

but the higher the hz, the more power is needed, as the radio signals travel shorter distances

the normal radio spectrum is also rubbish, the future of wifi is incorporating a DAB transmitter so there is no cross talk

[DanceswithUnix]

not really, they just use different radio spectrums, the government finally allow the public to use, the higher the hz, the faster the connection and data rate will be, which is the same for 3G, 4G, 5G

but the higher the hz, the more power is needed, as the radio signals travel shorter distances

the normal radio spectrum is also rubbish, the future of wifi is incorporating a DAB transmitter so there is no cross talk

Nope. Same 2.4GHz spectrum, just a different modulations and channel widths with the addition of beam forming if you get enough antennas on .n

As for higher frequencies, it isn't that they can't travel as far (else satellites wouldn't communicate) just that high frequencies don't go through walls as well.

Not that any of that matters, just one old WiFi device on your network and all the new stuff has to downgrade to be compatible. Using more channels at once to try and go faster just makes it more likely you collide with transmissions from your neighbours so actually makes you go slower. If you want speed, plug a cable in.

Oh, apart from beam forming. That's awesome.

[me-yeah]

Nope. Same 2.4GHz spectrum, just a different modulations and channel widths with the addition of beam forming if you get enough antennas on .n

As for higher frequencies, it isn't that they can't travel as far (else satellites wouldn't communicate) just that high frequencies don't go through walls as well.

Not that any of that matters, just one old WiFi device on your network and all the new stuff has to downgrade to be compatible. Using more channels at once to try and go faster just makes it more likely you collide with transmissions from your neighbours so actually makes you go slower. If you want speed, plug a cable in.

Oh, apart from beam forming. That's awesome.

having more antenna's is just adding more power to the transmitter/receiver, the world war 2 spectrum bands the public have access to are up against the earths gravity and the magnetosphere frequency, when it comes to the distance they can travel, which is why the weather affects signal strength

if wifi used a DAB protocol transmitter/receive, there would be more control over channels, and would be able to use better spectrum bands, between the emergency services and mobile telecomes, but your router would probably be using 400watts instead of 60watts