A wireless local area network, WLAN, transmitter comprising: a baseband processing module operable in a plurality of 802.11 wireless communication modes, the baseband processing module operably coupled to: receive data and a mode selection signal, wherein the mode selection signal indicates a frequency band, a channel bandwidth, a maximum bit rate, a particular bit rate, a type of modulation, a code rate, a number of coded bits per subcarrier, coded bits per orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, OFDM, symbol, data bits per OFDM symbol and a number of transmit antennas; scramble the data in accordance with a pseudo random sequence to produce scrambled data; select one of a plurality of encoding modes based on the mode selection signal; encode the scrambled data in accordance with the one of the plurality of encoding modes to produce encoded data; determine a number of transmit streams based on the mode selection signal; and convert the encoded data into streams of symbols in accordance with the number of transmit streams and the mode selection signal; a plurality of radio frequency, RF, transmitters (68, 70, 72), wherein, based on the mode selection signal, a number of the plurality of RF transmitters are enabled, wherein each of the number of plurality of RF transmitters that are enabled converts a corresponding one of the streams of symbols into a corresponding RF signal such that a corresponding number of RF signals is produced; and a mode manager module operably coupled to determine the mode selection signal based on WLAN operational conditions, which include protocol diversity of wireless communication devices affiliated with a corresponding WLAN, target capabilities, and WLAN transmitter capabilities. a baseband processing module operable in a plurality of 802.11 wireless communication modes, the baseband processing module operably coupled to: receive data and a mode selection signal, wherein the mode selection signal indicates a frequency band, a channel bandwidth, a maximum bit rate, a particular bit rate, a type of modulation, a code rate, a number of coded bits per subcarrier, coded bits per orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, OFDM, symbol, data bits per OFDM symbol and a number of transmit antennas; scramble the data in accordance with a pseudo random sequence to produce scrambled data; select one of a plurality of encoding modes based on the mode selection signal; encode the scrambled data in accordance with the one of the plurality of encoding modes to produce encoded data; determine a number of transmit streams based on the mode selection signal; and convert the encoded data into streams of symbols in accordance with the number of transmit streams and the mode selection signal; receive data and a mode selection signal, wherein the mode selection signal indicates a frequency band, a channel bandwidth, a maximum bit rate, a particular bit rate, a type of modulation, a code rate, a number of coded bits per subcarrier, coded bits per orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, OFDM, symbol, data bits per OFDM symbol and a number of transmit antennas; scramble the data in accordance with a pseudo random sequence to produce scrambled data; select one of a plurality of encoding modes based on the mode selection signal; encode the scrambled data in accordance with the one of the plurality of encoding modes to produce encoded data; determine a number of transmit streams based on the mode selection signal; and convert the encoded data into streams of symbols in accordance with the number of transmit streams and the mode selection signal; a plurality of radio frequency, RF, transmitters (68, 70, 72), wherein, based on the mode selection signal, a number of the plurality of RF transmitters are enabled, wherein each of the number of plurality of RF transmitters that are enabled converts a corresponding one of the streams of symbols into a corresponding RF signal such that a corresponding number of RF signals is produced; and a mode manager module operably coupled to determine the mode selection signal based on WLAN operational conditions, which include protocol diversity of wireless communication devices affiliated with a corresponding WLAN, target capabilities, and WLAN transmitter capabilities.