When buying a new laptop with wireless, or setting up a new wireless network, the question arises which protocol is the one to go with - 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g or one of the emerging new ones, such as 802.11n. The short answer is that 802.11b (the original WiFi) is still as good as any for the foreseeable future. g is faster, but most people don't need the speed. n is still unproven and may have compatibility problems as does a.CNN.com - Alphabet soup of Wi-Fi choices - Jan 26, 2005