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Today’s question (don’t have a link yet, as I haven’t answered it).

What is the maximum speed 802.11ac standard can transfer at?

  • 1.3Gbps
  • 6Gbps
  • 0.45Gbps
  • 450Mbps

The answer is…it depends. If you are talking theoretical maximum, then the answer should be 6.933 Gbps (7 Gbps, if you want to round). If you are talking real-world, then the answer would be…it depends (maybe a range). This is a good discussion: https://www.extremetech.com/computing/160837-what-is-802-11ac-and-how-much-faster-than-802-11n-is-it

@sean-spiceworks ​? It’s been a while since I had to bug you :grin: Sorry for the late post - busy migration day at work today…

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Found it: https://community.spiceworks.com/questions/3897/explanation

Looking into it now.

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And that question has been updated!

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OK, so I selected the theoretical maximum…and got the question wrong :angry:

@sean-spiceworks ? I see in the discussion thread that you changed the answer to the theoretical maximum. Which should also ​have a period, not a comma - more confusion :grin:

Link: https://community.spiceworks.com/questions/3897/explanation#27903

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Its the difference between bandwidth and throughput. Actual throughput will always be smaller than the bandwidth you have to work with, and tends to be 50% of bandwidth in the advertised “maximum speed” of a Wifi radio.

I’d suggest changing the question to specifically ask for the speed in either bandwidth or throughput, and to be far to those who tend to forget the difference, maybe ask for the speed in bandwidth since I’ve found that is what most people will default too when asking how fast a wireless connection is rated. (And making sure the answer is correct.)

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Are you sure you didn’t read it wrong? To be a period, it would be 6.933Gbps but the current correct answer is 6,933Mbps, hence the comma (instead of a period).

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Ah - got me.

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Is that too much of a trick answer? Should I make it 6.9Gbps? I’m good either way, to be honest.

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My two cents, if it’s a 1,000 Mbps, then just shorten it to Gbps.

And specify if it is Bandwidth or Throughput being sought, even if it should be fairly obvious given the answer choices.

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@sean-spiceworks ​ - I think I forgot to mention that 1.3 Gbps still showed up as the “correct” answer, which is why I got it wrong.

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Just to be on the safe side… throughput, right?

@luiscarmona

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No, I would go with bandwidth. The bandwidth speed is mostly what’s advertised or discussed. For example, 1 gigabit NIC’s. When they are advertised or discussed, we call them 1 Gbps NIC (bandwidth), we don’t advertise or talk about them as 0.9Gbps or 900mbps NIC’s (throughput).

I welcome any dissenting opinions.

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