802.11g FAQ
By Chris De Herrera, Copyright 2003, 2007
 Version 1.01  Revised 7/16/2007

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Introduction

Recently, I have been asked more and more about 802.11g and how to use it with your Pocket PC.  This FAQ covers the current state of 802.11g as it relates to the Pocket PC and it's capabilities.

802.11g is a standard for communicating (networking) between multiple devices using wireless.  802.11g communicates at up to 54 megabits per second. It is interoperable with 802.11b.  You can purchase an 802.11g access point or router and use standard Wi-Fi PC Card or CompactFlash cards with your Pocket PC to communicate.  Also, you will find that the latest devices are marketed as having Wi-Fi and this usually includes 802.11g.  (Marketing has seen the 802.11b and 802.11g as Wi-Fi even though they are technically separate standards.) 

 The Current State of 802.11g

Currently 802.11g is available for access points, routers and PC Cards as well as CompactFlash cards and SDIO cards. Linksys was one of the first vendors to offer an 802.11g PC Card.  Also, the latest generation of Windows Mobile Pocket PCs and Smartphones with Wi-Fi also support 802.11g.

Generally if your Pocket PC has been purchased in the past 2 years and it supports Wi-Fi, it already supports 802.11g.  However you should check the specifications of your device just to make sure.  For older devices, there are CompactFlash and SDIO cards that support 802.11g.  Also, these cards use a lot of power so your battery life may be shorter.  Finally you will want a faster CPU so it will be able to take advantage of the increased speed of 802.11g.  From my experience the 200 MHz cpu speed systems work however they are slower than the 400 or 600 MHz CPU speeds.

What Performance can I expect with 802.11g?

Also, the speed of the 802.11g connection will vary depending on your signal strength, distance from the access point and the noise (or multiple wireless networks) in the areas where you are using it.  I commonly see 802.11g connection speeds of 24mb and 36 mb as well as 11mb for older 802.11b networks.  The actual throughput of the network is usually limited by the speed of the internet connection rather than the actual network connect speed because the connection to the internet is slower.