Abbreviation for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, pronounced I-triple-E. Founded in 1884 as the AIEE, the IEEE was formed in 1963 when the AIEE merged with the IRE. IEEE is an organization made up of engineers, scientists and students. The IEEE is best known for developing standards for the computer and electronics industries. In particular, the IEEE 802 standards for local area networks are widely followed. Anyone who has worked with a networked computer has at one time or another been exposed to the 802 standards. The 802 standards were developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electonics Engineers for primary use in the computer and electronics industries. IEEE 802 standards for local area networks are widely followed. The IEEE just sets the standard. Industry leaders in networking technology have for the most part accepted these standards and developed their products to meet them. What are the pros and cons of developing to a set standard? The standards developed under Title 802 cover several aspects of networking technology. A short list of the standards and area covered are: LAN/MAN bridging and management (802.1) Logical link control (802.2) Token ring access method (802.5) Wireless LAN (802.11) On-demand priority access method (802.12) ) Wireless Personal Area Network (802.15) Broadband Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (802.16) Robust Packet Rings (802.17) (http://standards.ieee.org/catalog/olis/lanman.html) Volumes have been written about each of these standards. The one that most people have been exposed to is the 802.11(X) standard. This standard covers the setup and use of a wireless local area network. For many, this LAN is configured as a home network consisting of a high-speed modem, a wireless router, and a PC/laptop with a wireless network interface card. Some of the most popular vendors of NICs and wireless routers are Netgear, D-link, and Belkins. The size and shape of the hardware may be slightly different, but they all comply with the 802.11 standard. Until recently, most people didn't pay much attention to the lowercase “b” that follows the 802.11 (802.11b) standard. Most non-engineers would buy the product, install the device, and hope it worked. In today's environment that may not be so easy. The NIC type must match the router used in terms of the 802.11( ) standard in use. These wireless products are available in 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11b/g standards. These suffix letters have a distinct meaning in the world of wireless. Knowing what they mean even at a beginner level will save time and money.