Wi-Fi is one of the most transformative technologies in modern life. It enables everything from streaming services to the connection of IoT devices and industrial applications. But what do labels like “Wi‑Fi 4”, “Wi‑Fi 5” and “Wi‑Fi 6” actually mean? And what happened to older standards such as 802.11b and 802.11g? Below we clarify both the official and unofficial Wi‑Fi generations and explain the technologies that define each level.
From 802.11 to Wi‑Fi: A naming guide
In 2018, the Wi‑Fi Alliance introduced a numbering system to make Wi‑Fi standards easier for consumers to understand. This began with Wi‑Fi 4 (802.11n), while earlier standards such as 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g never received official numbers. To provide clearer historical context, an unofficial numbering scheme is sometimes used to retroactively label those older standards.
| Standard | Official name | Unofficial name | Maximum speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 802.11b | None | Wi‑Fi 1 | 11 Mbit/s |
| 802.11a | None | Wi‑Fi 2 | 54 Mbit/s |
| 802.11g | None | Wi‑Fi 3 | 54 Mbit/s |
| 802.11n | Wi‑Fi 4 | — | 600 Mbit/s |
| 802.11ac | Wi‑Fi 5 | — | 6.9 Gbit/s |
| 802.11ax | Wi‑Fi 6 | — | 9.6 Gbit/s |
| 802.11be | Wi‑Fi 7 | — | Over 30 Gbit/s |
Wi‑Fi generations in detail
Wi‑Fi 1 (802.11b): The first consumer‑oriented standard, offering a maximum throughput of 11 Mbit/s and long range. It was well suited for homes and small offices but was vulnerable to interference.
Wi‑Fi 2 (802.11a): Introduced operation in the 5 GHz band with speeds up to 54 Mbit/s. Common in enterprise environments, it was less prone to interference but had a shorter range.
Wi‑Fi 3 (802.11g): Combined aspects of Wi‑Fi 1 and Wi‑Fi 2, delivering higher speeds (54 Mbit/s) and backward compatibility with older standards.
Wi‑Fi 4 (802.11n): Introduced MIMO (multiple‑input, multiple‑output) and support for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, increasing theoretical throughput up to 600 Mbit/s. This represented a major performance improvement for users seeking faster Wi‑Fi.
Wi‑Fi 5 (802.11ac): Optimized for the 5 GHz band with features such as MU‑MIMO and beamforming. With a maximum theoretical speed of 6.9 Gbit/s, it became a solid choice for streaming and gaming when signal strength is sufficient.
Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax): Designed for high‑density environments like offices and arenas. Technologies such as OFDMA allow many devices to be served more efficiently at the same time. The maximum theoretical throughput is 9.6 Gbit/s.
Wi‑Fi 7 (802.11be): The next evolution of Wi‑Fi, offering support for speeds beyond 30 Gbit/s and multi‑link operation that uses multiple frequency bands simultaneously. It targets use cases such as AR/VR and high‑resolution video streaming.
Summary
Wi‑Fi has evolved dramatically from the early days of Wi‑Fi 1 to today’s Wi‑Fi 7, with each generation introducing new techniques to meet growing demands for speed, reliability and energy efficiency. Whether you rely on Wi‑Fi for work, entertainment or IoT deployments, understanding the differences between generations helps you choose the right solution for your needs.