Updates to Wi-Fi Standards Nearly Complete

By Dwight Silverman
The new standard is the successor to 802.11g, currently the most common form of Wi-Fi, in homes, businesses and public hotspots. The older standard supports speeds of up to 54 megabits a second, while 802.11n can theoretically handle up to 600 Mbps. Of course, in most situations, users won't see that, but suffice it to say that 802.11n is a lot faster.

More than seven years ago, the group that deals with wireless networking standards met for the first time to plot out the next generation of Wi-Fi. Sometime next month, their work finally will be completed.

That's when the version of Wi-Fi dubbed 802.11n will be ratified, ending a long process that will result in faster wireless connectivity over greater distances.

"But wait!" you say. "I've seen 802.11n wireless routers and adapters in my neighborhood electronics store. I've even bought one! What's the difference?"

If you're the owner of a router built around the early draft versions of 802.11n, then the answer is: not much, initially. Your so-called "Draft N" equipment should work just fine with devices that were developed, built and sold using these earlier, unfinished versions of the 802.11n specification. In fact, in many cases you may be able to update your Draft-N router and adapter to the final version of 802.11n.

More about that in a moment. First, a little background.

Faster Connections

The new standard is the successor to 802.11g, currently the most common form of Wi-Fi, in homes, businesses and public hotspots. The older standard supports speeds of up to 54 megabits a second, while 802.11n can theoretically handle up to 600 Mbps. Of course, in most situations, users won't see that, but suffice it to say that 802.11n is a lot faster.

Of course, folks using Wi-Fi at home primarily do so for unfettered Internet access. Given that most Internet connections run in the 1.5- to 8-Mbps range, an 802.11n router may seem like overkill. However, there are actually benefits to 802.11n other than raw speed.

For example, 802.11n has a much greater range than 802.11g. If you have dead spots in your home's Wi-Fi coverage with an 802.11g router, there's a good chance that an N-class router will fix that for you.

In addition, 802.11n operates at a different frequency than 802.11g routers, which share bandwidth with such common devices as older cordless phones, baby monitors and microwave ovens. As a result, the older routers and adapters are prone to interference. If you've had mysteriously dropped or weak connections with an 802.11g-based network, interference may indeed be the cause.

Technical Delays

If 802.11n offers all these benefits, why has it taken so long to get the final standard approved? Som Pal Choudhury, a senior product line manager with Netgear, which makes networking equipment for homes and businesses, said it had to do with some arcane technical issues.

One of the components of the 802.11n specification allowed for channel-bonding, in which multiple Wi-Fi channels are combined to increase bandwidth.

"That can really hamper connections with your neighbors who are still using 802.11g," Choudhury said. The compromise was to turn the feature off by default, and only turn it on when no other 802.11g signals are detected.

But the networking hardware industry, which is built around getting people to upgrade to the latest technology, didn't want to wait for 802.11n, and in 2006 began selling products based on the first draft of the specification. When the second draft was released in 2007, another round of products was released. For the most part, these have been bought by consumers. Businesses and operators of hotspots have been more cautious about upgrading, waiting for the final standard to be ratified.

Once that happens, you can expect to see a lot of marketing promoting one more round of routers and wireless adapters. If you operate a business or Wi-Fi hotspot, expect network gear salesfolk to come pounding hard at your door.

If you've already got a draft 802.11n router in your home, start checking the manufacturer's support Web site for what are called firmware upgrades. Some routers may flag you that these are available automatically. Check the manual that came with your router to see how to install it.

Look for Support

Not all 802.11n equipment may be upgradable. The first N-class routers and adapters might not make the cut.

But in most cases, it shouldn't make much difference. Choudhury said the final 802.11n standard includes backwards compatibility with Draft-N and 802.11g devices. You should be covered whether you upgrade to the final version of the standard or not.