03-08-2003, 12:00 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Linksys Releases Dual-Band WiFi Card
"Wireless networking company Linksys on Wednesday released a PC card that supports two nascent Wi-Fi standards. Linksys's Wireless Dual Band A+G Wireless PC Card for notebook computers supports not only 802.11b--the prevailing IEEE standard for wireless networking--but its newer cousins 802.11a, which sacrifices bandwidth for range, and 802.11g, which is supposed to be backward-compatible with 802.11b."
How long do you think it'll be before we see these everywhere? Having dual-mode cards could be a convenient solution to the whither-a-or-g problem -- both technologies have their use in improving WLAN bandwidth. What I'd really like to see is a Pocket PC integrated with a/b/g capabilities. Oh, while we're at it, I'd also like Bluetooth, GSM/GPRS, and CDMA/1xRTT. I'll finally be happy then. 
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03-08-2003, 12:44 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Sounds good - 'as long as' the 'g' part can be flash upgraded when they actually finalise the spec. See here:
Don't mess with 802.11g, researcher warns
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/69/29651.html
Quote:
Last month, the Wi-Fi Alliance, a non-profit organisation that certifies the interoperability of 802.11 WLAN equipment, said it will begin certification testing of 802.11g products once the IEEE has approved the final standard.
But that approval has been a long time coming, and while the 802.11g is available in draft form, it has yet to become a true standard. In anticipation, many vendors have released 802.11g products anyway. Technically, all these 802.11g implementations are proprietary and can't be guaranteed to operate with other vendors' 802.11g units. And they may not pass the Wi-Fi Alliance's tests, says Gartner.
Certified products are likely to appear by the end of the year, and buyers should wait until then, suggests Gartner. At the very least, we'd add, stick to products that manufacturers promise can be flash upgraded to the official version of the standard in due course.
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03-08-2003, 02:24 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 390
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Umm, it may be a typo, but that article is dated in July 2003 :lol: :
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Originally Posted by The Register
Don't mess with 802.11g, researcher warns
By Tony Smith
Posted: 07/03/2003 at 17:17 GMT
Businesses have this week been warned to steer clear of 802.11g wireless LAN technology by market research organisation Gartner.
Devices based on the 802.11g specification operate in the same 2.4GHz band as current 802.11b WLAN products but have a maximum throughput of 54Mbps rather than 802.11b's 11Mbps.
Attractive though the 802.11g technology is, Gartner believes that until products based on the spec can be officially certified, buyers should put purchasing on hold...
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03-08-2003, 03:08 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,185
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by pocketpcdude1024
Umm, it may be a typo, but that article is dated in July 2003 :lol: :
Quote:
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Originally Posted by The Register
Don't mess with 802.11g, researcher warns
By Tony Smith
Posted: 07/03/2003 at 17:17 GMT
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That's the European date format 7/3/03 is March 7, 2003.
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03-08-2003, 04:03 PM
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Swami
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,396
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Re: Linksys Releases Dual-Band WiFi Card
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Originally Posted by Janak Parekh
"Wireless networking company Linksys on Wednesday released a PC card that supports two nascent Wi-Fi standards. Linksys's Wireless Dual Band A+G Wireless PC Card for notebook computers supports not only 802.11b--the prevailing IEEE standard for wireless networking--but its newer cousins 802.11a, which sacrifices bandwidth for range, and 802.11g, which is supposed to be backward-compatible with 802.11b."
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I read that on AvantGo, and think they messed up. 802.11a does not sacrifice bandwidth for range; they got that backwards, I think. 802.11a is a 54 mbps standard, just like 802.11g. It's frequency is in the 5 GHz range, so that may sacrifice range for bandwidth and, possibly, less interference with other 2.4 GHz devices.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Janak Parekh
What I'd really like to see is a Pocket PC integrated with a/b/g capabilities. Oh, while we're like it, I'd also like Bluetooth, GSM/GPRS, and CDMA/1xRTT. I'll finally be happy then. |
You forgot GPS. Sheesh. :lol:
Steve
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03-08-2003, 04:08 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 103
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The minute that the 802.11a and g products hit the shelfs is when many consumers became confused. I finally picked up a router/AP for home, but I had to go through a sea of g's and a's to find a simple plain old b router. Finally 802.11b is becomming more stable and from what I have heard, there is still significant compatiblity problems. I wouldn't touch the 'g's until there is more compatiblity, and from what I have seen. From my own testing, a PPC can't even suck up all 11mbps of bandwidth at the moment, so why do you want g support when it should be backwords compatabile with b.
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03-08-2003, 04:37 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,185
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I honestly don't see this A/B/G issue being adopted by consumers unless tri-mode becomes an affordable offering for APs and cards. It's too much to keep track of for the average occasional CompUSA shopper to understand. Better to have the 3 options and universal compatability in any uncontrolled environments (Starbucks, Wayport, corner cafe etc.).
I saw D-link is shipping a tri-mode and I think that's the place to be once everything gets blessed by the powers that be...and a few months for the price to come down.
I'm with Janak on the ubber-connection built in please...and yes, I'd pony up a few extra bucks for it to be built in.
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03-08-2003, 05:21 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Yup, lets have it all. :lol: Then it's a case of 'what confusion?'.
There was a problem with 'a' being licsenced over in Europe because of the differnt frequency. 'g' is OK of course.
Pocketpcdude1024, that is the 'correct' way to write a date. :!: :wink:
It is entirely logical, day, month, year. Having it month, day, year is all backwackwards and confusing. I think only the US writes it this way (perhaps Canada as well - any thougths?). The rest of the world used the 'right' way of doing things. :idea: :wink:
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03-08-2003, 05:25 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,185
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by PDA Gerbil
The rest of the word used the 'right' way of doinl things. :idea: :wink:
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You mean kind of like how the U.S. was supposed to convert to the metric system decades ago :?:
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03-08-2003, 06:55 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Re: Linksys Releases Dual-Band WiFi Card
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Originally Posted by Pony99CA
I read that on AvantGo, and think they messed up. 802.11a does not sacrifice bandwidth for range; they got that backwards, I think.
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Yeah, I suspected as much -- higher frequencies tend to have less range. On the other hand, the 5GHz spectrum is less cluttered, so the net range may be competitive.
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Originally Posted by bdegroodt
I honestly don't see this A/B/G issue being adopted by consumers unless tri-mode becomes an affordable offering for APs and cards.
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I'm not sure about that. Since 802.11g is already backwards-compatible (in theory) with 802.11b, you'd only need a dual-mode setup. On the other hand, it remains to be seen how broad each standard's adoption becomes.
--janak
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Linear Mode
