wifi5

Wi-Fi protocols define wireless communication standards that govern speed, frequency, and range for devices on a wireless local area network (WLAN).

Protocol

Description

Use Case

802.11ac

Provides high-throughput WLANs in 5 GHz band with MU-MIMO and wider channels up to 1.3 Gbps. Ideal for high-density environments with bandwidth-heavy applications.

High-speed video streaming, dense Wi-Fi deployments

802.11ae

Prioritizes management frames with QoS enhancements for reliable control traffic delivery. Enhances performance in dense networks with real-time apps.

QoS for management frames, real-time apps, dense networks

802.11aq

Enhances discovery and querying of available services over Wi-Fi networks. Improves user experience for service browsing and network selection.

Service discovery, network information querying

802.11ak

Defines enhancements for bridging and management of Ethernet-based WLAN backhaul networks. Improves support for enterprise and carrier-grade Wi-Fi deployments with seamless integration of WLAN and wired backhaul.

Supports high-capacity WLAN backhaul, improved QoS, and advanced network management

IEEE Standard: IEEE 802.11ac-2013

Main Features:

  • Operates in 5 GHz band with channel widths up to 160 MHz

  • Uses MU-MIMO and beamforming for improved throughput and efficiency

  • Supports data rates up to several Gbps depending on configuration

  • Backward compatible with 802.11a/n devices on 5 GHz band

  • Widely adopted in consumer routers and enterprise APs

Use Cases:

  • High-definition video streaming and online gaming

  • Dense Wi-Fi environments like offices and stadiums

  • Multi-user high-throughput scenarios

Alternative or Related Protocols:

  • 802.11n – Previous generation with lower max throughput

  • 802.11ax – Next generation with OFDMA and better efficiency

  • 802.11ad – 60 GHz ultra-high-speed short range

Let us learn more about 802.11ac:

Jump to “802.11ac”

IEEE Standard: IEEE 802.11ae-2012

Main Features:

  • Amendment to IEEE 802.11 for prioritizing management frames

  • Enhances Quality of Service (QoS) specifically for control and management traffic

  • Allows for differentiated handling of critical management frames (e.g., association, authentication)

  • Reduces contention and delays in dense network environments

  • Supports better performance in real-time applications

  • Integrates with existing Wi-Fi QoS mechanisms like WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia)

Use Cases:

  • Real-time applications requiring timely management frame delivery (e.g., VoIP, video conferencing)

  • Dense environments with many clients competing for airtime

  • Improved roaming performance with prioritized reassociation frames

  • Enterprise Wi-Fi networks with mission-critical wireless infrastructure

Alternative or Related Protocols:

  • 802.11e – Adds general QoS support for data frames

  • 802.11k – For radio resource management and efficient roaming

  • 802.11r – Fast BSS transition for seamless roaming

  • WMM – Wi-Fi Multimedia, a QoS system based on 802.11e

  • 802.11ax – Includes improved QoS scheduling with OFDMA

Let us learn more about 802.11ae:

Jump to “802.11ae”

IEEE Standard: IEEE 802.11aq-2018

Main Features:

  • Enhances Wi-Fi with pre-association service discovery capabilities

  • Allows devices to query networks about available services before association

  • Improves user experience by enabling better network selection

  • Supports advertisements of network capabilities and services

Use Cases:

  • Public hotspots and enterprise networks offering differentiated services

  • Seamless connectivity and service discovery in heterogeneous networks

  • IoT environments requiring service awareness before connection

Alternative or Related Protocols:

  • 802.11u – Network discovery and interworking

  • Hotspot 2.0 – Seamless roaming and service discovery

  • mDNS/DNS-SD – Service discovery protocols

Let us learn more about 802.11aq:

Jump to “802.11aq”

IEEE Standard: IEEE 802.11ak-2017

Main Features:

  • Defines enhancements for bridging and managing Ethernet-based WLAN backhaul networks

  • Supports seamless integration of WLAN with wired Ethernet backhaul

  • Improves Quality of Service (QoS) and network management for enterprise and carrier-grade deployments

  • Enables efficient handling of high-capacity WLAN backhaul traffic

Use Cases:

  • Enterprise and carrier Wi-Fi deployments requiring robust wired backhaul integration

  • High-capacity WLAN backhaul networks in large venues or campus environments

  • Advanced QoS and management for seamless WLAN operations

Alternative or Related Protocols:

  • 802.11az – Next generation positioning enhancements

  • 802.1Q – VLAN tagging for network traffic segmentation

  • 802.11r – Fast BSS transition for seamless roaming

Let us learn more about 802.11ak:

Jump to “802.11ak”