Absolute Beginner's Guide to Wi-Fi® Wireless Networking

Transmission Speeds

Figure 2.2 shows some comparative throughput speeds for most of the wireless standards I've discussed in this chapter.

Figure 2.2. Comparative speeds of wireless standards.

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In order to keep the comparison real-world, I've included estimated actual throughput for 802.11b as well as its theoretical maximum.

For purposes of reference, and to help you see that Wi-Fi is unlikely to slow you down much, I've included the throughput you can expect from a 10BASE-T Ethernet network in the figure (this is the kind of wired network you are most likely to find in your home or office, although many wired networks are ...