An extended range preamble is disclosed, for transmission between extended range 802.11n devices. The extended range preamble consists of a high-throughput signal field, in which a modulation coding scheme rate and payload length are specified by the transmitting device. The extended range preamble also includes an expanded preamble, which is adjacent to the high-throughput signal field, and is not understood by non-extended range devices. The modulation coding scheme rate is specified as either one of the rates supported in non-extended range 802.11 devices or as a reserved modulation coding scheme not understood by the non-extended range devices. In either circumstance, the non-extended range device respects the preamble, and thus does not itself attempt a transmission during processing of the preamble.