Is 802.11n the Bane of Gigabit Networks?
08.30.07 - 09:09pm
I’ve read my fair share of articles discussing the new 802.11n standard and the implications it’ll have on bridging the gap between wired gigabit and wireless connections. Typically in the past for enterprise level networks wireless connections haven’t been a reliable option due to their slow transfer rates, sluggish latencies, and limited range. Will 802.11n be able to counter these previous flaws in wireless technology?
Wireless technology is notorious for being very finicky in regards to throughput and rather limited ranges. 802.11g has a theoretical maximum range of 35 meters, enough to cover an office space but hardly enough to span outdoor areas or large buildings. Wired gigabit connections can support cable runs of 100+ meters but who wants to be tethered to an ethernet connection? 802.11n in theory can address both of these issues with a theoretical range of 75 meters and a typical data rate of 74 megabits/second with 2 streams. What are streams you ask? Well here’s a quick lesson on 802.11n
802.11n will operate on the 5 and 2.4 GHz bands which have been traditional wireless frequencies in the past. The 2.4GHz band is already incredibly crowded with many devices sharing this frequency but the 5 GHz band is rather un-used so interference issues should be a problem with 802.11n. Throughput will be increased in 802.11n with the addition of multiple-input multiple-output antennas. Rather than limiting the user to a single antenna, 802.11n will permit users to use 2 or 4 antennas to maintain a wireless connection and creating a 248 megabit connection per each antenna pair. In theory this could scale to epic proportions but I imagine laptop manufacturers will stick to the 2 antennas required in the standard. Besides these two changes 802.11n will seamlessly integrate into current wireless schemes.
So with more throughput and a larger range where could I see 802.11n being applied? Wireless security is still a huge pain to deal with and when transferring critical data one cannot take chances. However the steady replacement of professional desktops with laptops and desktop replacements have made users more and more mobile. No longer is an individual tied down to a desk, power outlet, and ethernet jack. So where does one draw the line? I personally see 802.11n as a great option for most businesses and organizations. The ability to utilize multiple streams and the hope that manufacturers will implement 4 antenna cards makes the prospect of having superior throughput to 100Mbit connections a solid possibility. More important connections such as router -> printer and backbone router -> switch connections though I imagine should stay with wired connections, preferably gigabit or 10 gigabit connections. I imagine 802.11n won’t be able to surpass wired gigabit connections and I’ll always favor a gigabit connection over a wireless connection even if the throughput is identical.
802.11n is still being revised with Draft 2.0 just recently being approved. Currently most manufacturers have 802.11n Draft approved hardware available but none of this hardware is guaranteed to comply with the final specifications. Taking that leap of faith into 802.11n territory could give your network that needed boost in wireless communications and the gamble may pay off immense dividends. Let me hear your thoughts on this subject, do you even care about the changing protocols? 54g provide fast enough porn downloads to your laptop? Waiting around for WiMAX? Would you like to see urban Wi-Fi networks?
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