A wireless local area network receiver having separate automatic gain control (AGC) loops for providing a radio frequency AGC and a baseband frequency AGC, as well as a DC offset cancellation circuit. The AGC loops control a low noise amplifier amplifying the received RF signal, and the baseband signal or signals from a mixer of I and Q mixers. The DC offset compensation loop is also responsive to the baseband AGC signal to maintain a substantially fixed gain in the DC offset compensation feedback. Details of various embodiments are disclosed, including embodiments for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) that provide the AGC operation and the DC offset cancellation to the desired levels within the relatively short period of a preamble that precedes the data transmission.