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Can 802.11a connect or can bridge to 802.11n? I do search the internet but it doesn't gave me a clear idea. I also searched in this site, but I saw, b to n, or ac to n.

I'm an amateur in this kind of field. TIA for someone who would like to answer/help! :)

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You'll have to make sure that both APs support 802.11a. 802.11n is a technology supported on both WiFi frequency bands, so it does not indicate which band you are on. If AP1 supports only .11a and AP2 only .11b/g/n, it will not work, as both APs will be on different frequency bands. For example, your first research probably lead you to "b to gn" and "ac to an".

Consumer-side, the 2.4GHz is represented by 802.11b/g/n, and the 5GHz by 802.11a/n/ac. There is other WiFi standards but it is not relevant to the answer.

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  • AP1 is 802.11a only and AP2 is 802.11a/n, so it is okay and it will work, right? I'm just a little bit confused on that, because I really want to connect that .11a to .11n because I think that using .11n will have faster data speed. Please correct me if I'm wrong or suggest a better solution. Thanks!
    – DJTomagan
    Aug 5, 2016 at 1:59
  • Both APs will be able to connect but you will be limited in data speed by the .11a one (54Mbps in theory, basically 20-25Mbps at the very best). You'll have to use two 11an APs if you want to benefit from 11n data speed.
    – Doezer
    Aug 5, 2016 at 6:35
  • I see, the bottom line is, THEY CAN CONNECT, but still data rate will suffer as long as they are not both "an". Thanks for the help.
    – DJTomagan
    Aug 5, 2016 at 9:26
  • Yes, as in any network segment, the best data speed will be the worst present in this segment. Don't forget to mark my answer as valid if it suits you :)
    – Doezer
    Aug 5, 2016 at 10:12
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Yes, if it has the WiFi logo on the box. WiFi Alliance makes sure devices are backward compatible.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n products work with older Wi-Fi devices, including 802.11 a/b/g, and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n products have the very latest generation of security protections, WPA2™ (Wi-Fi Protected Access®), so certified products offer the highest level of protection.

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