What are the differences between 802.11b and 802.11g?

Before we take look at the differences between the two, let us first know what is 802.11. IEEE created their first Wireless LAN (WLAN) standard in the year 1997 and called it 802.11. As time passed by, technology advanced and the 802.11 standard was further expanded and as a result 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n were introduced to the world of computer networking.

802.11b Vs 802.11g

Both the WLAN standards use the unregulated radio frequency band of 2.4GHz which means they can interfere with other appliances using the same frequency.

802.11b supports a maximum bandwidth of up to 11Mbps whereas the 802.11g supports a bandwidth of up to 54Mbps. 802.11g is the best of the two for office use since 802.11b is slower than 802.11g cards.

802.11g costs more than 802.11b network adapters or the wireless cards.

So, if you want to buy a wireless card for your notebook or your desktop, if your wireless access point supports 802.11g, then you should choose a 802.11g wireless card over a 802.11b card. There are many companies that manufacture wireless cards such as Realtek, Broadcom, Intel, Linksys and D-Link.