As wireless technologies continued to evolve, however, several standards, which govern wireless technology, were developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The IEEE 802.11 Working Group (WG), for example, is responsible for specifying the family of standards for wireless LAN technology. The IEEE 802.11 WG’s main goals are to produce standards that encourage interoperability of products made by different vendors and to ensure that wireless LANs provide equivalent security as wired LANs. The following sections will limit its focus to the IEEE 802.11 family. It will then conclude with a brief overview of the 802.1X protocol, which is used to authenticate and authorize devices connecting to a network.
2.4.1 IEEE 802.11b
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Although the IEEE 802.11a standard was introduced at the same time, it didn’t take on the same level of acceptance as 802.11b, even though it was capable of higher data rates. This is because 802.11a operated in the 5 GHz licensed band rather than the 2.4 GHz unlicensed band of 802.11b, which made it much more expensive. In addition, 802.11b supports data rates up to 11 Mbps, which is equivalent to traditional Ethernet. It’s important to also note that devices using 802.11b can experience interference with other devices operating in the 2.4 GHz band. For example: Bluetooth devices, cordless phones, microwave ovens, and even baby monitors can interfere with 802.11b signals, causing signal degradation and issues with