BLUETOOTH - Using the 2.4-gigahertz band of the unlicensed spectrum, Bluetooth can send information at up to 1 megabit per second, considerably faster than a dial-up modem connection can. It is designed to work at 30 feet, and sometimes reaches farther.

802.11B - Also known as Wi-Fi, 802.11b wirelessly connects devices as far as 300 feet apart at up to 11 megabits per second, close to the speed of a digital subscriber line or cable modem. Wi-Fi can create ad hoc connections between devices but is commonly used to tap into existing networks in offices, schools, airport lounges and coffee shops. It uses the 2.4- gigahertz band, sometimes causing interference with Bluetooth.

802.11A - Dubbed Wi-Fi 5, 802.11a is much faster than its market predecessor, running at up to 54 megabits per second. Wi-Fi 5, which is just beginning to appear in PC cards and wireless base stations, eliminates some interference problems by operating on 5 gigahertz, a less crowded band of the spectrum.

802.11G - Still in development, this standard is intended as a higher-speed successor to 802.11b, providing data speeds comparable to those of 802.11a on devices created for the 2.4-gigahertz band.

HOMERF - Originally intended for home networking, HomeRF can operate up to a distance of 160 feet in the 2.4-gigahertz band. Recent improvements increased its potential data speed to 10 megabits per second, but it lost ground when Intel (news/quote) decided to pursue other standards.

Source: New York Times, December 20, 2001