The “802.x” refers to a set of IEEE standards that govern wireless and local-area network communication. These standards are maintained by the IEEE’s LAN/MAN Standards Committee (IEEE 802). Here’s a brief overview of some of the prominent 802.x standards:
IEEE 802.1:
- Bridging (connecting) and network management.
- Includes standards like 802.1X, which is used for port-based network access control.
IEEE 802.2:
- Logical Link Control (LLC), which is used in the data link layer of LANs.
IEEE 802.3:
- Ethernet, the dominant standard for wired LAN technology.
- Defines the frame format, MAC addressing, and the CSMA/CD protocol.
IEEE 802.5:
- Defines the Token Ring network protocol.
IEEE 802.6:
- Metropolitan Area Network (MAN).
IEEE 802.7:
- Broadband Technical Advisory Group (not widely used).
IEEE 802.8:
- Fibre Optic TAG.
IEEE 802.9:
- Integrated voice and data networks.
IEEE 802.11:
- Wireless LAN (WLAN) standards, widely known as Wi-Fi.
- Has several sub-standards, like 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, and 802.11ax, each defining various radio frequencies, speeds, and other features.
IEEE 802.15:
- Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) standards.
- This includes standards like Bluetooth (802.15.1) and ZigBee (802.15.4).
IEEE 802.16:
- Broadband Wireless Access (BWA), commonly known as WiMAX.
IEEE 802.17:
- Resilient Packet Ring (RPR), a standard for the optimized transport of data traffic over optical fiber ring networks.
IEEE 802.18:
- Radio Regulatory Technical Advisory Group, which advises on wireless communication standards.
IEEE 802.19:
- Coexistence Working Group, which ensures different wireless standards can work together without interference.
IEEE 802.20:
- Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA).
IEEE 802.21:
- Media Independent Handover (MIH).
IEEE 802.22:
- Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRAN), leveraging unused TV broadcast channels in the VHF/UHF bands.
These standards, and others under the 802 umbrella, play an essential role in defining the protocols and operations of a vast majority of networked devices. They ensure interoperability and compatibility between different manufacturers and systems.