Chapter 2 of 11 · MikroTik MTCWE
Wireless Standards
802.11 a, b, g and n, bands and channel widths, and how frequencies and channels are numbered.
- 3topics
- 14 minfast track
- 1diagrams and exhibits
Topics in this chapter
Take them in order, or jump to the one you need.
- 1802.11 a, b, g and n StandardsCompare the 802.11 a, b, g and n standards, their bands, modulation and maximum rates, and how mixed networks slow down when old…5 min
- 2Bands and Channel WidthUnderstand the RouterOS band setting and channel width options, including 5, 10, 20 and 40 MHz, and the trade off between speed…4 min
- 3Frequencies and ChannelsLearn how Wi-Fi channel numbers map to frequencies in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, which channels do not overlap, and how to set…Diagram5 min
About this chapter
What this chapter covers
Wireless Standards is about the rules that decide how Wi-Fi devices share the air.
It covers the standards that define speed and compatibility, the bands and channel widths that decide how much spectrum a link uses, and the frequencies that carry each channel. These ideas appear in almost every other chapter.
The chapter follows the second part of the MTCWE syllabus. It has three topics, and each has its own page.
How the topics fit together
The three topics are three views of one choice: which signal to put on the air.
The topics build on each other in this order:
- Standards define the data rates and which devices can talk.
- Bands and channel width choose the range of frequencies and how wide a channel is.
- Frequencies give the exact centre of the channel and show which channels overlap.
A change in one affects the others. A wider channel has fewer places to fit, and a newer standard may only exist in one band.
The RouterOS band setting combines the frequency range and the standards, so one setting touches two of these topics.
How to use these pages
Each topic page has the same shape, so you can skim for what you need.
- What it is: the idea in plain words.
- How it works: the mechanism, with diagrams and example commands.
- What to remember for the exam: the facts to memorise.
- Common mistakes: the classic traps.
- Check yourself: three questions to test your understanding.
Learn the tables first, because exam questions often ask you to match a standard to a band, a width to a rate, or a channel to a frequency. Then practise setting band, channel-width and frequency on a lab device and watch the effect with the monitor command.
The same ideas return in the tools chapter, where you measure the spectrum, and in the 802.11n chapter, where channels are bonded.
Ready for more practice?
The full MikroTik MTCWE question bank has 447 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.
This study guide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by MikroTik. Vendor names, certification names and exam codes are trademarks of their respective owners and are used for identification only.