Wireless Evolution

Dan Cameron

It is easier to control and increase speed on wired networking due to the lack of outside signal interference and direct propagation of the signal over the wire. Wired networking exploded in the '90s as the cost plummeted and the business case for networking became even stronger with the advent of commercial Internet access.

In 1997, the first wireless LAN standard was created, known as 802.11. It wasn't really until the 1999 release of the speedier 802.11b standard that wireless networking started to take off.

While the most commonly used wired networking standard Fast Ethernet (100 base T) operates at 100Mbps (megabits per second), 802.11b has a maximum throughput of only 11Mbps. While perfectly usable for Internet access, this low speed had serious drawbacks for use in office networking. 2003 brought about the release of the 802.11g standard, which increases the data transfer speed to 54Mbps. Finally, wireless connections are reaching speeds comparable to common wired networks.

Things look even better on the horizon, the 802.11n protocol promises to bring 100Mbps speeds to wireless connections. Currently in development, 802.11n should also see a significant increase in range, allowing fewer access points to be used for full coverage. The specification for the 802.11n standard probably won't be completed until late 2006, however, products have begun appearing on the market utilizing some of 802.11n's features.

These products, known as Pre-N, offer increased speed and range, with one big caveat. You will need to use Pre-N wireless cards and Pre-N access points or routers from the same vendor to realize these benefits. In addition, given that the 802.11n spec is so far from completion, it isn't likely that these Pre-N devices will be compatible with the final 802.11n standard. Nonetheless, the significant benefits of Pre-N mean that they are a valid purchase for new wireless networks. Pre-N is compatible with the older 802.11g and 802.11b standards and they will work at standard speeds with older equipment.