What is all the hype about the new Wireless N technology?
Yes you are correct there is a new Wireless N making the news, blog sites, etc. Although major companies are launching the release of their products there are some speculations on the actual speed. First I think we need to explore the possible speeds that are being reported, and then discuss from that point. The best way is to compare to the current “B” and “G” technologies. I am pulling this information from wikipedia.org
Wireless Technology | Release Date | Op. Frequency | Data Rate (TYP) | Data Rate (Max) | Range (Indoor) |
802.11b | October 1999 | 2.4 Ghz | 6.5 Mbits/s | 11 MBits/s | ~30 meters (~98ft) |
802.11g | June 2003 | 2.4 Ghz | 24 Mbits/s | 54 Mbits/s | ~30 meters (~98ft) |
802.11n | Unfinished | 200 Mbits/s | 540 Mbits/s | ~50 meters ( ~165 ft) |
The estimated 802.11n publish date is now October 2008. (Information provided by Wikipedia) So this is the date that this technology will be widely accepted as a new standard, and will begin to show availability. However a stroll down the aisles of your computer or technology store and you will see the new “N” technology on the shelf and ready to buy. Most companies are selling the product as what is called draft (beta modes) as companies refine their products, we will see other draft modes and then in October 2008 (if not sooner) there will be a formalization of the 802.11n product expectations
By looking at the numbers for the new “N” technology, it is suppose to be amazing. Faster connection times, faster download, etc. 200 Mbits/s is a huge improvement in speed and the new range of 165 feet allows for fewer Access Points to be installed into large building. Allowing someone to be able to surf the web, connect to the office, stream multi-media seemlessly. But how soon will people be moving to the new technology. Large companies are certainly going to begin testing the equipment, but from articles that I have read, I do not find evidence that companies are going to move quickly to 802.11n. Mostly for two reasons: One, they have invested a great amount of monies into the current 802.11g technologies. Two, they are waiting for the 802.11n technology to advance further along the draft stages to have a more standardized platform.
The new 802.11n technology does have some backwards compatibility, but before you invest too much monies in one direction, realize that you might be investing monies to implement a technology that is still in the draft (beta) mode and that this technology might change again and have major impacting changes in the near future.
Here are a few articles that can provide additional information:
www.technewsworld.com
