Evolution of IEEE 802.11 Standard

1. 802.11-1997: The original Wi-Fi protocol with a maximum speed of 2 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band.

2. 802.11a: Introduced 54 Mbps speeds using the less congested 5 GHz band.

3. 802.11b: Popularized Wi-Fi with up to 11 Mbps speeds on the more crowded 2.4 GHz band.

4. 802.11g: Combined the best of 802.11a and b, offering 54 Mbps speeds in the 2.4 GHz band.

5. 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4): Integrated MIMO technology for speeds up to 600 Mbps and operation across both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.

6. 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5): Enhanced MIMO (MU-MIMO), achieving several Gbps speeds in the 5 GHz band.

7. 802.11ad: Introduced short-range, high-speed Wi-Fi up to 7 Gbps in the 60 GHz band.

8. 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6):Improved efficiency and speeds with support for both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, targeting both capacity and efficiency.

9. 802.11ay: An enhancement of 802.11ad, aiming for even higher speeds and better reliability in the 60 GHz band.

10. 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7): Future standard expected to enhance speeds and efficiency, including improved capabilities in 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz bands.