IEEE Debate & Decide on 802.11n Standard

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1777259,00.asp?kc=ETRSS02129TX1K0' target='_blank'>http://www.extremetech.com/article2...ETRSS02129TX1K0</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The IEEE working group dedicated to the next-generation 802.11n standard has settled on a single proposal, TGn Sync, members said late Thursday night. . . . The 802.11n technology is designed to replace the current crop of 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g standards, with data rates in the neighborhood of 100 Mbits per second; the TGn Sync camp believes that they can achieve 315 Mbits/s or even 630-Mbits/s with even more advanced systems."</i><br /><br />A widely agreed and adopted standard, now there's a thing. ;-) The TGn standard was backed by Intel, Sony and Toshiba et al., while the defeated WWiSE standard was backed by Nokia and Motorola etc. The 802.11n standard should be backwardly compatible with 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g, so your existing gear should work with the new kit (albeit at a lower speed). High speed, secure wireless networks. Don't you just love em? :mrgreen:

[OSUKid7]

An widely agreed and adopted standard...
*cringes*
A widely agreed and adopted standard...

Anyway, how will 11n be compatible with 11a and 11b/g? Does it operate in both frequency fields?

High speed, secure wireless networks. Don't you just love em? :mrgreen:
Yes, but I'll believe it when I see it. ;) The security part still seems rather iffy.

[Jonathon Watkins]

*cringes*

So sorry for the typo, though a PM usually suffices to get it fixed. :wink:

Anyway, how will 11n be compatible with 11a and 11b/g? Does it operate in both frequency fields?

Pass. I read several resports for this post and most said the same thing without giving details.

The security part still seems rather iffy.

I believe that 802.11n will use WPA2 first deployed in 802.11i. I understand that there are no systematic problem with WPA, unlike WEP. Why do you have security concerns about 802.11n?

[OSUKid7]

So sorry for the typo, though a PM usually suffices to get it fixed. :wink:
heh, not a problem.

I believe that 802.11n will use WPA2 first deployed in 802.11i. I understand that there are no systematic problem with WPA, unlike WEP. Why do you have security concerns about 802.11n?
Well, a few years ago, people thought WPA would solve the security holes in WEP. True, it's a lot better, but I'm sure hackers will find out how to break WPA2 as well. There's security concerns with all networking, but much more with wireless. I do hope 802.11i/in 802.11n is secure, but as I said, I'll believe it when I see it.

[WyattEarp]

I'm sure WPA2 will be more secure than the original WPA is but let's be real. Anyone with the time, knowledge and desire will break it as they have every other security protocal in existance. Anything man made can be broken. All that can be done is to make it better and in the case of wireless it needs to be alot better.

[gibson042]

I was unaware of any glaring flaws with properly set up WPA (read: long enough key). Is it, too, broken? If so, please provide links, or at least tell me when this happened!

[beq]

I too thought WPA (even WPA-PSK for home use w/o authentication server) had been good enough with the always-changing TKIP encryption keys? And if my memory serves, doesn't WPA2 mostly add AES encryption to the WPA spec?

But I find it interesting that the article says TGn Sync won against the WWiSE proposal which is backed by Broadcom, Conexant, TI, Motorola, Airgo, Nokia, etc. I mean aren't those the vast majority of the current Wi-Fi chipset heavyweights?? Whereas TGn Sync (other than Atheros) seems to be supported more by general PC/consumer electronics heavyweights (Intel, Sony, Matsu****a, Toshiba, etc)! Is the win justified by technical advantages, or more politics? Is WWiSE actually better performing? Is TGn Sync backward compatible whereas WWiSE isn't?

Though admittedly a 181-140 vote win is hardly the 75% supermajority needed for the next vote...

Another thing, I'd often read elsewhere that 11n's goal is supposedly actual 100Mbps throughput rather than just 100Mbs data rate (as everyone knows the two can differ by a lot)?

[beq]

Anyways what I really wanted to ask is about current MIMO technologies (part of all 11n proposals). I've been trying to decide which 11g MIMO (or "pre-11n" if you like to use their false label) to get:

- Airgo "True MIMO" (Linksys, Belkin)
- Video 54 "BeamFlex" antenna overlay + existing Wi-Fi chipset (Netgear RangeMax)
- Atheros AR5005VL MIMO (D-Link)

True MIMO and recently BeamFlex have been getting all the attention it seems, plus a couple of initial testings I'd read were not impressed by the D-Link, so I had mostly focused on deciding between the Linksys (True MIMO dual radios/triple antennas) vs. Netgear RangeMax (BeamFlex 7-antenna + existing existing Atheros chipset).

But now it seems the Atheros-style MIMO (as used in the D-Link) is the one that has been chosen for 11n? I'm only wondering if there are any advantages this particular MIMO technology that I might not have known -- not that I'm expecting any of these 11g MIMO products to be upgradeable to 11n (as they won't be).

Any help appreciated :)

ARTICLES:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1770797,00.asp
http://www.pcworld.com/resource/printable/article/0,aid,119801,00.asp
http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/article.php/3488116

http://dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News&amp;file=article&amp;sid=3758&amp;src=rss09
http://www.tomsnetworking.com/News_story_more_984.php


SOME 11G MIMO ROUTERS:

Netgear: WPN824 (Video 54 BeamFlex overlay + Atheros Super G)
http://www.netgear.com/products/details/WPN824.php

Netgear: WGM124 (Airgo True MIMO - Japan)
http://www.netgear.com/products/details/WGM124.php

Linksys: WRT54GX router (Airgo True MIMO)
http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&amp;scid=35&amp;prid=670

Belkin: F5D8230-4 (Airgo True MIMO)
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=184316

D-Link: DI-624M router (Atheros AR5005VL)
http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=0&amp;pid=385