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In the world of wireless internet communication, there are four letters that have some significance: B, G, and N. However, despite the fact that most people realize that these make for a difference of some kind, only the more educated internet users have any idea what that difference is. Prepare to join the “more educated” group.
Unlettered wireless, the original wireless format, provided the baseline for the wireless field. It could transfer a data bit rate of up to 2 bits per second, and had an indoor range of up to 66 feet. It functioned on a 2.4Ghz frequency – the same as just about everything else that’s wireless. Luckily, the wireless technologies have moved forward.
Wireless B came next, with up to 11 megabits per second, or just over five times the maximum transfer rate of original wireless. The maximum indoor range also exploded, reaching up to 125 feet with a relatively clear signal. Wireless B came about in 1999, two years after the invention of the original wireless cards, and still functioned on the 2.4Ghz frequency. It didn’t stop there, however.
Wireless G was dropped off by the stork in 2003, and sported connection rates of up to 54 megabits per second. The range didn’t change much, and the frequency didn’t change. Still, the speeds were becoming pretty decent. 54 megabits per second equates to a maximum download speed of about seven megabytes per second.
Wireless N started to change things in 2009, and it is currently the reigning champion of the wireless world. Its maximum transfer rate reaches 150 megabits per second, or almost twenty megabytes per second, when it is functioning on a 5Ghz frequency. This versatile network can function on either 5Ghz or 2.4Ghz frequencies, allowing for maximum compatibility with older devices. With either 5Ghz or 2.4Ghz, the range is double that of B/G wireless. The 5Ghz frequency, however, is more resistant to wireless interference.
