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What is the number "802.11" in "IEEE 802.11" representing? I mean, if you break it down, what exactly do "802" and "11" refer to?

Mehdi Charife
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Rajan Savaliya
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  • Did any answer help you? If so, you should accept the answer so that the question doesn't keep popping up forever, looking for an answer. Alternatively, you could provide and accept your own answer. – Ron Maupin Aug 14 '17 at 22:03

2 Answers2

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802 is the number for the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee, and 802.11 is the Wireless LAN Working Group.

The IEEE 802 committee maintains a web site, which lists the various current working groups within the committee.

Current:

  • 802.1 Higher Layer LAN Protocols Working Group
  • 802.3 Ethernet Working Group
  • 802.11 Wireless LAN Working Group
  • 802.15 Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) Working Group
  • 802.16 Broadband Wireless Access Working Group
  • 802.18 Radio Regulatory TAG
  • 802.19 Wireless Coexistence Working Group
  • 802.21 Media Independent Handover Services Working Group
  • 802.22 Wireless Regional Area Networks
  • 802.24 Vertical Applications TAG
  • 802 5G/IMT-2020 Standing Committee

Hibernating:

  • 802.17 Resilient Packet Ring Working Group
  • 802.20 Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA) Working Group

Disbanded:

  • 802.2 Logical Link Control Working Group
  • 802.4 Token Bus Working Group
  • 802.5 Token Ring Working Group
  • 802.6 Metropolitan Area Network Working Group
  • 802.7 Broadband TAG
  • 802.8 Fiber Optic TAG
  • 802.9 Integrated Services LAN Working Group
  • 802.10 Security Working Group
  • 802.12 Demand Priority Working Group
  • 802.14 Cable Modem Working Group
  • 802.23 Emergency Services Working Group
  • QOS/FC Executive Committee Study Group
  • ECSG TVWS TV Whitespace study group
  • ES-ECSG Emergency Services Executive Committee Study Group
  • OmniRAN EC Study Group
  • Privacy Recommendation EC Study Group
Ron Maupin
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From wikipedia

The number 802 was simply the next free number IEEE could assign,1 though “802” is sometimes associated with the date the first meeting was held — February 1980.

11 is simply the number for Wireless LAN working group since 1 to 10 are already being used by other working groups at the time.

Shashank V
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