80211abg

802.11abg is a commonly used designation for a group of wireless local area network standards defined by the IEEE 802.11 committee. It refers to three separate standards—802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g—that are often supported together on the same device. The designation highlights that hardware can operate on both the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands and interoperate with networks using these standards.

802.11a operates in the 5 GHz band and uses orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM). It delivers data rates up to 54 Mbps and typically offers shorter range and poorer wall penetration than 2.4 GHz signals, due to higher frequency and greater attenuation.

802.11b operates in the 2.4 GHz band and uses direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) with complementary code keying (CCK). It provides up to 11 Mbps with relatively long range and better obstacle penetration than 5 GHz. 802.11g also uses OFDM in the 2.4 GHz band and supports up to 54 Mbps while remaining backward compatible with 802.11b devices.

In practice, devices branded as 802.11abg often include dual-band radios or support concurrent networks on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. The 5 GHz band experiences less congestion but may be restricted by regulatory rules in some regions and commonly has shorter indoor range. The 2.4 GHz band is more crowded due to other devices and technologies.

Introduced in the late 1990s and early 2000s, 802.11a, b, and g were later superseded in common use by newer standards such as 802.11n, 802.11ac, and 802.11ax, which provide higher data rates and improved efficiency, but 802.11abg compatibility remains in legacy networks and in devices designed for broad compatibility.