802.11a/b (and the rest) are IEEE task group names (in order of creation of those groups). It just happens that it was easier to actually build (in production) the 2.4 GHz 11 Mbps version than the 5 GHz 54 Mbps version, so the former came before the latter, even though the two standards were ratified the same year.
Wi-Fi and co are Wi-Fi Alliance (formerly WECA) names... No doubt most people prefer "Wi-Fi" over "IEEE Std 802.11b-1999", though :-) Jacques. At 02:00 17/10/2002, Klotz, Leigh wrote: >Whaddya expect from the people who bought us 802.11a, the follow-on to >802.11b ;-)? > >-----Original Message----- >From: Jack Grimes [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] >Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 2:20 PM >To: Wireless List List >Subject: [BAWUG] The "Wi-Fi5" designation is history > > >"WiFi5" is Dead ; Long Live WiFi > >Wi-Fi5 designation was expected to be the moniker, the Wi-Fi Alliance >planned to give any wireless networking product it certified that used the >802.11a standard. > >But a week ago, the alliance - -an association of companies that certifies >whether wireless local area networking products meet Institute of Electrical >and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) standards--scrapped those plans. It instead >decided to call the new products "Wi-Fi," the same name it gives certified >equipment based on the 802.11b standard, said Wi-Fi Alliance President >Dennis Eaton. [...] -- Jacques Caron, IP Sector Technologies Join the discussion on public WLAN open global roaming: http://lists.ipsector.com/listinfo/openroaming -- general wireless list, a bawug thing <http://www.bawug.org/> [un]subscribe: http://lists.bawug.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless
