What is the theoretical maximum bandwidth of the 802.11b Wi-Fi standard?

The theoretical maximum bandwidth of the 802.11b Wi-Fi standard is indeed 11 Mbps. This standard was introduced as part of the IEEE 802.11 specification and is one of the earlier standards for wireless networking. It operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and utilizes a modulation technique called Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS).

The 802.11b standard supports data rates of 1, 2, 5.5, and 11 Mbps, where the highest rate of 11 Mbps is where the maximum bandwidth aligns. This makes it suitable for basic wireless tasks such as web browsing and email during its peak usage, although modern applications often exceed what 802.11b can reliably support.

Other standards mentioned in the choices relate to more advanced Wi-Fi technologies that offer significantly higher bandwidths, which are not applicable to the 802.11b specification. This historical context emphasizes the evolution of wireless networking capabilities as technology progressed beyond what 802.11b can provide.