Early Tests Dispute Performance Claims of Draft-802.11n Products
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Two different groups testing new wireless products based on a draft standard of next-generation Wi-Fi technology are cautioning consumers against buying pre-standard networking gear. The Farpoint Group and the technology trade publication eWeek have released the results of tests on new products using draft versions of the 802.11n standard. While eWeek’s assessment was not nearly as negative as the Farpoint Group’s, both groups concurred that it was still too soon for consumers to buy products using 802.11n.
The 802.11n standard, which should be finalized early next year, will allow notebook users to connect to wireless access points at speeds much faster than what’s currently available with 802.11g technology.The 802.11n standard will use multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) technology, which is expected to improve range and throughput.
| In testing, however, the Farpoint Group found that the Linksys SRX400, which uses Airgo’s third-generation MIMO technology (and is not compliant with the draft version of 802.11n), offered better throughput at longer distances than products from Buffalo Technology and Netgear that used draft-802.11n. The report also indicated that the “draft compliant” products didn’t connect at faster speeds or across greater distances than existing 802.11g products. |
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At the same time, eWeek tested Linksys’ new WRT300N Wireless-N Broadband Router and the WPC300N Wireless-N Notebook Adapter. It found that while Linksys’ draft-802.11n gear was the fastest wireless equipment the magazine had tested to date at short distances, its performance at a 50-foot range was disappointing.bk_keywords:802.11n.
