Wireless LAN Specifications

D-Link TM-G5240 WLAN 802.11g wireless router, Cisco EZXS88W Ethernet switch, MFJ-1278 multi-mode data controller.

D-Link TM-G5240 802.11g wireless router, Cisco EZXS88W 8-port Ethernet switch, and MFJ-1278 multi-mode data controller.

Wireless Local-Area Networks, known as Wireless LAN or simply WLAN technology, provide network connections over microwave links typically around 2.4 and 5 GHz. Most of what is called WLAN today is based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards and marketed as Wi-Fi.

Another general family of wireless network technology is based on digital mobile telephony, carrying IP networking over the worldwide GSM internetwork. Look here for an example of GSM IP networking in Bulgaria, where in 2011 they had the third-fastest Internet service in the world.

WiFi and WiMax Characteristics

Standard		Frequency	Max data rate	Spectrum sharing	Modulation
802.11 (Wi-Fi)	802.11a	5.15-5.825 GHz	54 Mbps	OFDM	BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM
	802.11b	2.4-2.5 GHz	11 Mbps	DSSS	CCK
	802.11g	2.4-2.5 GHz	54 Mbps	OFDM	BPSK, QPSK, CCK
	802.11n	2.4-2.5, 5.15-8.825 GHz	248 Mbps	OFDM	64-QAM
802.16 (WiMAX)	802.16d	Licensed: 2.5, 3.5 GHz Unlicensed: 5.2, 5.8 GHz	70 Mbps	OFDM	BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM
802.16 (WiMAX)	802.16e	Various: 2.3, 2.5, 3.3, 5 GHz	70 Mbps	SOFDMA	BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM

Digital Mobile Telephone Specifications

System	Band, MHz	Uplink, MHz	Downlink, MHz	Channel Number	Regions of Use
GSM 400	450	450.4 — 457.6	460.4 — 467.6	259 — 293	Tanzania
GSM 400	480	478.8 — 486.0	488.8 — 496.0	306 — 340	Tanzania
GSM 850	850	824.0 — 849.0	869.0 — 894.0	128 — 251	USA, Canada, many other countries in the Americas.
GSM 900 (P-GSM)	900	890.0 — 915.0	935.0 — 960.0	1 — 124	Europe, Middle East, Africa, most of Asia, Brazil, Falklands, St Pierre & Miquelon, some Caribbian countries
GSM 900 (E-GSM)	900	880.0 — 915.0	925.0 — 960.0	975 — 1023 (0, 1 — 124)	Europe, Middle East, Africa, most of Asia
GSM R (R-GSM)	900	876.0 — 915.0	921.0 — 960.0	955 — 973 (0, 1 — 124, 975 — 1023)	Europe, Middle East, Africa, most of Asia
GSM 1800 (DCS 1800)	1800	1710.0 — 1785.0	1805.0 — 1880.0	512 — 885	Europe, Middle East, Africa, most of Asia, Brazil, Uruguay, some Caribbian countries
GSM 1900 (PCS 1900)	1900	1850.0 — 1910.0	1930.0 — 1990.0	512 — 810	USA, Canada, many other countries in the Americas.

Soviet Багта-50 telephone interfaced to the GSM network.

A Soviet Багта-50 rotary-dial telephone from around 1955, which I have interfaced to the GSM network.

OpenBSD with Linksys WPC55AG 802.11a+g WLAN card, with Atheros chipset capable of 802.11i / WPA2 security.

OpenBSD notebook with Linksys WPC55AG WLAN card. Its Atheros chipset is capable of 802.11i/WPA2 security.

Acronyms

OFDM	Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing
SOFDMA	Scalable Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access
BPSK	Binary Phase-Shift Keying
QPSK	Quadrature Phase-Shift Keying
QAM	Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
CCK	Complementary Code Keying

Kismet sniffing packets and detecting wireless activity. Running in a BSD xterm window.

Kismet running in an OpenBSD xterm window, sniffing packets and observing wireless network activity at the Greyhouse coffeeshop in West Lafayette, Indiana. And yes, they really want you to use their WLAN, so you'll hang out there and buy more coffee.