802.11n Draft 2.0 Approved by Working Group 105
[Geeks Are Sexy] writes "Yes folks, the 802.11 Working Group has finally approved Draft 2.0 of the 802.11n spec, bringing us a step closer to its final form. 'With the positive vote from the 802.11n Working Group, the Wi-Fi Alliance will now begin officially certifying equipment as being compliant with Draft 2.0. That's an important step, as official Draft 2.0-compliant gear is guaranteed to be fully compatible with the final 802.11n standard.'"
Re:They need to prioritize (Score:2, Informative)
There are ways to reasonably secure your network, so people who know and care will still be able to take advantage of n when it's finalized.
(This is over-simplified of course, but the overall point remains.)
Re:They need to prioritize (Score:5, Informative)
That makes no sense. WPA (using TKIP) changes keys every x packets, not x seconds. Usually under 10,000. WPA using AES/CCMP is even more difficult (if not impossible) to crack. WPA and WPA2 are just fine for wireless networks at 108mpbs. Hell, I'd be happy just to see people migrate away from WEP with this new release of products.
The real vulnerability is still weak passwords. Wireless devices could do more to enforce better passwords and limit the amount of tries per minute per mac.
Re:802.11n -- what's the point? (Score:3, Informative)
But, people don't only use their networks for web traffic.
I know quite a few people who have wireless media players integrated into their stereos. If you're streaming your A/V stuff over your network, or copying files about between your computers, bandwidth is *good*.
I know when I'm backing up data from my work laptop to my FreeBSD file server over wireless, I sometimes wish it was faster.
Once your wireless runs most of your lan, there are lots of reasons why more local bandwidth is a thing you may want. Some people might have more local traffic that internet traffic.
Cheers
Re:About f***ing time (Score:2, Informative)
For Draft Certified equipment to appear? Isn't that kind of an oxymoron?
Re:802.11n -- what's the point? (Score:5, Informative)
Here are some things you can do. The goal is getting the ping to the wireless router to be 1ms (or less) consistantly. 2-4ms consistantly is okay but past that lots of problems creep in.
1. Some wireless managers do something stupid every 30 or 60 seconds that causes lost packets and delays. The MS XP SP2 manager is one of these. I use the linksys manager that came with my card now.
2. Find a free channel in you area. Or the one with the least amount of interference on one of the three non overlapping channels.
3. Set your router to be either G or B only (pick one). Doing both adds some time slicing silliness that hurts latency. You might want to try both and see which one works out best for you.
4. Get as close as possible to the router.
5. Get a better antenna/chipset. You need a stellar connection with no interference.
I finally got my desktop to ping the router at 1ms consistantly with no lost packets. Well, once in a great while. Its so much more effort than running an unslightly wire and the wireless still 'feels' slow on BF2. Other games that arent as network demanding may fare better. Now I just run a wire when I want to play just to be extra safe and leave wireless for when im not gaming.
Lastly, an n-connection may not be at all faster in terms of latency. You may still have time slicing problems, weird interference issues, extra CPU usage, etc. Its not really like ethernet at all. Depending on the manufacturer and what the air interface is like near you it could be worse (latency wise) than running an old B router with a decent antenna.
Re:N already? (Score:3, Informative)
(Don't remember all of them myself I know i was an improved encryption scheme, j was japanesse support k was extra node hopping, etc.. all or most of which is going into n)
Re:802.11n -- what's the point? (Score:1, Informative)
Re:N already? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:About f***ing time (Score:3, Informative)
It might take a couple months for the packaging and documentation to be updated. If you can't wait, looking at each vendor's websites for firmware updates and attached notes should quickly tell you which currently available gear is going to be 100% compatible, and full-speed with (future) certified 802.11n gear.