11ac Wave1 vs. Wave2: Key Differences in WLAN Standards

This tutorial explains the basics of WLAN-11ac, covering topics like the frame, PHY layer, MAC layer, data rates, spectral mask, beamforming, and radio planning. This page specifically compares 11ac-Wave1 and 11ac-Wave2 with other 802.11 standards, highlighting their differences.

802.11ac is a member of the 802.11 family of standards designed to deliver high data rates, extending the capabilities of the earlier 11a/b/g/n standards. It’s often referred to as a VHT (Very High Throughput) specification.

802.11ac-Wave1

• Products are based on the IEEE 802.11ac draft 2.0 standard.
• Channel Bandwidth Supported: 20, 40, and 80 MHz.
• Modulation Technique Supported: Maximum of 256QAM.
• Maximum Speed: Up to 1.3Gbps (with 80MHz, 3 streams, and 256QAM).
• Beamforming: Supported.

802.11ac-Wave2

• Products are based on the final version of the IEEE 802.11ac standard.
• Channel Bandwidth Supported: 20, 40, 80 MHz, with the addition of 160 MHz.
• Modulation Technique Supported: Maximum of 256QAM.
• Maximum Speed: Up to 3.5Gbps (with 160MHz, 4 streams, and 256QAM).
• Beamforming: Supported, including Multi-User MIMO.