The history of WiFi - from the first to the sixth generation

Wireless network access has really hit the roof to the point that today we can't imagine life without it. Who today remembers the origins of this technology, which at its dawn reached dizzying speeds of 1 Mbit/sec. Let's reminisce.

WiFi standards

Although the origins of the technology, which has been included in wireless networking standards within the IEEE 802.11 family of protocols, date back to 1997, Wi-Fi, then called WLAN (Wireless LAN), came into widespread use around 2000 in the 802.11b version, known today as Wi-Fi 1. The technology used only the 2.4 GHz band and developed speeds of up to 11 Mbit/s, less than Ethernet, but being free of cable made up for this drawback. In parallel to 802.11b, there was a variation of 802.11a (Wi-Fi 2), operating in the 5 GHz band, but widespread use of this band has yet to come. Another important step in the development of wireless networking was the 802.11g (Wi-Fi 3) standard, which allowed to develop speeds of up to 54 Mbit/s in the 2.4 GHz band. Realistic use of the 5 GHz band was brought by the 802.11n version (Wi-Fi 4), in which, by using up to 4 antennas in addition simultaneously, 600 Mbit/s could theoretically be achieved. This brings us to modern times. The prevailing WiFi standards today are Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), operating in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, reaching gigabit speeds.

Wi Fi router

Initially, to equip its network with wireless capabilities, it was necessary to equip a separate device - an access point (AP). As the new technology became more popular, APs were integrated with other network devices and so the Wi Fi router was born. WiFi routers are the most popular solution for home and small business networking today.

WiFi Router 6

With the rapid popularization of Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), it is already common for homes to host a WiFi 6 router. Such devices, for example wi-Fi router 6 FRITZ!Box 7590 AX, develops speeds of 2.4 Gbit/s in 5 GHz and 1.2 Gbit/s in 2.4 GHz).