Show Menu
Cheatography
  1. Home >
  2. Programming >

Wi-Fi Standards Cheat Sheet by

Every major Wi-Fi standard from 802.11a to Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): frequencies, max speeds, channel widths, and key features in one glanceable reference. Perfect for Network+ wireless topics and real-world network planning. More free study resources at bytebarhq.com.

Standards Table

802.11a
5 GHz · 54 Mbps · ~35 m indoor
802.11b
2.4 GHz · 11 Mbps · ~38 m indoor
802.11g
2.4 GHz · 54 Mbps · ~38 m indoor
802.11n (Wi-Fi 4)
2.4 / 5 GHz · 600 Mbps · ~70 m indoor
802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5)
5 GHz · 3.5 Gbps · 35 m indoor
802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6/6E)
2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz · 9.6 Gbps · 35 m indoor
802.11be (Wi-Fi 7)
2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz · 46 Gbps · 35 m indoor
Freque­ncies, speeds, and ranges — Network+ and CCNA wireless in one page.

2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz

Range / wall penetr­ation
2.4 GHz: Best · 5 GHz: Medium · 6 GHz: Worst
Speed
2.4 GHz: Slowest · 5 GHz: Fast · 6 GHz: Fastest
Congestion
2.4 GHz: Worst (only 3 non-ov­erl­apping channels) · 5 GHz: Better · 6 GHz: Cleanest
Non-ov­erl­apping 2.4 GHz channels: 1, 6, 11 (US) — exam favorite.

Wireless Security

WEP
Broken — crackable in minutes, never use
WPA
Deprecated — TKIP flaws
WPA2
Minimum acceptable (AES-CCMP)
WPA3
Current standard (SAE handshake)
Oldest → newest. Know the order.

Quick Exam Hits

MIMO
Multiple antennas — arrived with 802.11n
MU-MIMO
Multiple users at once — arrived with 802.11ac
OFDMA
Efficient channel sharing — arrived with 802.11ax / Wi-Fi 6
SSID
Network name · Rogue AP = unauth­orized access point (evil twin risk)
Enterprise auth
802.1X with RADIUS server
If you remember nothing else, remember these.
 

Metadata

  • Languages:
  • Published: 14th September, 2026

Comments

No comments yet. Add yours below!

Add a Comment

Your Comment

Please enter your name.

    Please enter your email address

      Please enter your Comment.

          Related Cheat Sheets

          Network lesson Cheat Sheet
          Basic Cisco IOS Commands Cheat Sheet
          Cisco Switch Configuration Cheat Sheet

          More Cheat Sheets by bytebar

          Common Network Ports Cheat Sheet
          OSI Model Cheat Sheet