IEEE P802.11N; 100mbps WAN

ThraxThrax 🐌Austin, TX Icrontian
edited September 2003 in Science & Tech
E4 Engineering

The IEEE has begun to develop a standard that will raise the effective throughput of Wireless Local Area Networks to at least 100 Mbps, which is more than triple the current maximum IEEE 802 WLAN speed of 30 Mbps. The higher-speed standard, IEEE P802.11n, 'Wireles LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer Specifications: Enhancements for Higher Effective Throughput,' will help WLANs meet the expanding bandwidth needs of enterprise and home networks, as well as those of WLAN hot spots.

Unlike older speed-grades defined by the IEEE 802.11x specifications, which rated the speed of a wireless interface by the signalling rate in the physical layer (IE: The way they rate standard 802.3 cards), IEEE now plans to ratify P802.11n in terms of actual throughput under averaged conditions.

The fatal flaw of the 802.11x initiative, security aside (Since solved with TKIP encryption), was the fact that the bandwidth ratings on WLAN cards were designed in the same manner as classic BASE100 cards. That is, the signal time on the card, calculated for maximum theoretical bandwidth. As wires are physical extensions of the cards, the maximum theoretical bandwidth is often achieved with a link-loss budget of about 10%. A typical user gets 8.5/9.2MBps (Megs/second) with a wired card. Wireless cards, ratified in the same way as 802.3 cards, never took EMI into account (Cellphones, bluetooth, cordless phones), or the presence of dense substances (Concrete, steel, etc.) when setting the standard up. Users see a 45-55% efficiency in wireless operation.

With p802.11n, the goal is to push towards 85-93% efficiency in regards to throughput. Expect to see 7.5-9.0MBps (Megs/second) with this standard..And don't expect to be duped by silly ratification schema either! WYSIWYG this time around.

Comments

  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited September 2003
    good lord, that would make wireless SO hardcore
  • TemplarTemplar You first.
    edited September 2003
    never took EMI into account (Cellphones, bluetooth, cordless phones), or the presence of dense substances (Concrete, steel, etc.)

    You would think that would be rather obvious...
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Yeah, well....
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    I am guessing this wont be backwards compatible with B and G.....

    Damnit, now I dont know wether to wait and buy N equip instead...... but then my PDA wont work......... and it will cost more....... arg.....

    THRAX: WHERE ARE MY PRICES!?!?!!?!sixtyeight

    NS
  • WuGgaRoOWuGgaRoO Not in the shower Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    were cellphones as popular as they are now back when wireless was concoted?
  • khankhan New
    edited September 2003
    knowing IEEE it'll be another year or two till the standard is ratified, much less hardware produced for it. and screw you IEEE for obsolitificating my new network card. *shakes fist at IEEE*
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