Draft N -- Engadget

draft-n posts

It's official! 802.11n standard finalized after a mere seven years

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 12th 2009 at 7:01PM

Remember when the Wi-Fi Alliance finalized the 802.11 draft-n spec some two and a half years ago? Of course you don't -- as long as your media players, laptops, and the like can connect to each other (and to the cloud) without a hiccup you probably don't care about IEEE's paper trail. The standard, which saw no major changes between then and now (meaning that all your draft-n devices should work fine with the finalized standard) theoretically connects at 300Mbps, or about six times the peak speed of 802.11g. But you already know that, since you've been using it for years now. The final standard is set to be published mid-October.

802.11n finalization just a formality, interoperability to be preserved

by Darren Murph posted Jul 27th 2009 at 3:56AM

C'mon, say it with us: "phew!" Considering that just about everyone has been shipping "802.11n" wireless kit since draft 2.0 was put into play two summers ago, we couldn't be more relieved to see the Wi-Fi Alliance confirm that it won't change the baseline requirements of its 802.11n certification program when the format gets certified this September. Just as we'd heard, the WiFi standard will leave its stagnant draft status and sashay into the wondrous realm of officialdom in merely two months, with the updated test program to "preserve interoperability with more than 600 Wi-Fi certified 802.11n draft 2.0 products released since June 2007, while adding testing for some optional features now included in the standard." Good thing, too -- can you imagine the uproar if your forthcoming 802.11n dongle wouldn't play nice with that draft-N router you snagged last June?

[Via Electronista]

802.11n should go final by September, just when it's starting to feel slow

by Darren Murph posted Jul 21st 2009 at 10:09PM

It's been a long, long... long time coming, folks. Since 2004, the world at large has been waiting for 802.11n to finally go legit, and while we've been getting along just fine with Draft-N devices, the IEEE is inching closer to completion of the final specification. According to Bob Heile, the chairman of the IEEE 802.15 working group on Personal Area Networks, "802.11 [has been] granted unconditional approval to forward 11n to RevCom," which is currently scheduled to take place on September 11th in New Jersey. He continued by uttering the understatement of the year with "this was an extremely complex project." We won't even bother retracing all the time line slips that we've seen over the years, but we can't help but chuckle at the notion of an ever faster 802.11 protocol to be discussed at the very same meeting. So, let's see here -- 802.11n finally gets its certificate of authenticity after parading around for half a decade as an unfinished draft, and CES 2010 brings about devices based on the even faster 802.11ac. Marvelous.

[Via Digg]

ASUS USB-N11 Wireless N USB adapter ships with EZLink

by Darren Murph posted Jul 30th 2008 at 11:21AM

We'll admit, ASUS has us scratching our noggins on this one. Just last month, the outfit coaxed us into believing that EZLink was simply its way of saying DisplayLink. Now, however, it seems that it's a blanket term being used anytime ASUS "simplifies" something. Whatever the case may be, the outfit has introduced its newest Wireless N USB adapter, the USB-N11. Sporting integrated support for Mac, Windows and Linux-based computers, this draft-N compliant device also features a WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) button -- this is where the EZLink comes in -- that "allows users to setup a protected networking environment with ease." Per usual, there's no mention of a price or release date, so it's on you to keep an eye out for it to land anytime, anywhere.

[Via I4U News]

D-Link launches Quadband DIR-855 Wireless N Router

by Darren Murph posted Mar 3rd 2008 at 1:51PM

Perpetual HD media streaming and online deathmatches got your current router in a bind? D-Link's looking to solve said quandary by introducing the Quadband DIR-855 Wireless N Router, which quite simply "supports true concurrent 802.11n transmission over both 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels at the same time." Granted, you'll need a wireless chipset capable of detecting both 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels or either the company's own DWA-160 USB adapter to take advantage, but we suppose that's the price you pay for being able to "segregate your network by application." You'll also find 5 gigabit Ethernet ports for those times when only wires will suffice, and the OLED display up top keeps things flashy, too. Expect this one to land in May for a stiff £169.99 ($337).

[Via TrustedReviews]

CSIRO throws 802.11n ratification a curve

by Darren Murph posted Oct 3rd 2007 at 11:12AM

CSIRO and aggravation tend to go hand in hand, so it's no real shock to learn that the organization is playing hard ball in a recent push to get 802.11n closer to ratification. Reportedly, CSIRO "refused to provide a letter of assurance to the IEEE working group developing the much-delayed 802.11n WiFi standard," and it cited legal discord between it and Microsoft, Intel, Dell, HP, Netgear, Toshiba, Fujitsu, Nintendo and 3Com as the primary holdup. The group's senior vice-president of licensing, Denis Redfern, was quoted as saying that "where litigation is involved, CSIRO will continue to reserve its rights in relation to licensing," so it looks like an official 802.11n standard is still that far off from being founded.

Netgear gets 802.11n draft 2.0 certified with RangeMax NEXT routers

by Darren Murph posted Jun 30th 2007 at 6:05AM

Surely bitter after being one-upped by D-Link by a matter of hours (strictly in terms of time to press, of course), Netgear is still tooting its own horn over being the second to receive the Wi-Fi Alliance's 802.11n draft 2.0 certification. The firm's first two devices to include the newfangled seal are the RangeMax NEXT Wireless-N Router Gigabit Edition (WNR854T) and the RangeMax NEXT Wireless-N Router (WNR834B; seen after the break), both of which are fully backwards compatible with the slower flavors of 802.11. Thankfully, citizens who currently own a RangeMax NEXT 802.11n Draft 1.0 product can upgrade their device free of charge via a firmware download, and Netgear even proclaims that the rest of its Wireless-N products are "being tested" and should be up to snuff soon.

Continue reading Netgear gets 802.11n draft 2.0 certified with RangeMax NEXT routers

Buffalo unveils draft-N WZR-AMPG300NH router, PC Card

by Darren Murph posted Jun 29th 2007 at 2:55PM

Going over two months without releasing yet another router is quite a feat for Buffalo, but the firm is yet again giving the wireless crowd something to cheer about with its WZR-AMPG300NH. Part of the ever-growing AirStation NFINITI lineup, this draft-N device purportedly plays nice with 802.11a/b/g as well, boasts throughput of around 153Mbps, and includes MIMO technology to make full use of the trio of antennas. You'll also find the typical WPA2 certification, and if you need a WiFi adapter in order to make use of it, the WLI-CB-AMG300N PCMCIA network card fits the bill perfectly. Look for both devices to land in Japan next month (well, we hope) for ¥40,200 ($328), or pick up the router by its lonesome for ¥31,700 ($258).

[Via AkihabaraNews]

NEC's goes 802.11n Draft 2.0 with Aterm WR8400N router / PCMCIA card

by Darren Murph posted May 23rd 2007 at 3:18PM

Last fall, NEC took its WARPSTAR lineup into the realm of draft-N with the Aterm WR8200N, and thanks to all this Draft 2.0 hubbub that's going around, apparently it figured now would be a good time to hop on the next bandwagon. The Aterm WR8400N four-port router and Aterm WL300NC PCMCIA card both tout theoretical transfer rates of around 300Mbps, are backwards compatible with 802.11a/b/g devices, support "Multi SSID" / WEP / WAP protocols, and can automatically detect and connect to signals in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. No word just yet on price nor availability, but we're sure it'll get lost in the crowd of similar alternatives before too long anyway.

[Via Impress]

Atheros offers up 802.11n Draft 2.0-spec XSPAN solutions

by Darren Murph posted May 23rd 2007 at 7:42AM

You'll probably recall Atheros' name from the rundown of Draft 2.0 802.11n gear mentioned just a week ago, but now the firm is getting official with its bundle of refreshed pre-N gear. The new AR9001 family of chipset solutions builds upon the existing XSPAN offerings, and is reportedly compliant with the latest IEEE draft of 802.11n. Primarily aiming for SMB and Enterprise markets, the outfit is doling out a number of AR9001AP access points / router SoCs that "integrate its 802.11n MAC / baseband and 400MHz Wireless Network Processor (WNPU) into a single chip." On the consumer front, the AR9001U sect presents the "world's first dual-band capable 802.11n USB chipset," and also includes the company's first 1x2 MIMO configuration. Unsurprisingly, pricing details on all these goodies are still up in the air, but Atheros claims that second-generation AR9001 items are currently sampling to customers and should hit " full volume production" in Q3 of this year.

[Via PCWorld]

Wi-Fi Alliance unveils first 802.11n Draft 2.0 products

by Nilay Patel posted May 16th 2007 at 8:29PM

You might remember that the 802.11n "Draft 2.0" specification was finally approved just a couple months ago, and since the final 802.11n standard is guaranteed to be compatible with that version, the Wi-Fi Alliance (the trade group that controls the Wi-Fi spec) has retooled the Wi-Fi logo and decided to start certifying products as "802.11n Draft 2.0 certified," in anticipation of the spec being formally released in 2008. There's only a few products on the list released today: router / card combos from Atheros, Broadcom, and Marvell; Cisco and Intel APs; and a chipset / router combo from Ralink. This is, of course, in contrast to the veritable cornucopia of products (hello, Santa Rosa) that meet the earlier draft-n spec, which the Alliance did not certify. While we understand the need for the Wi-Fi Alliance to somehow regulate the enormous number of possibly-incompatible draft-n implementations out there, we'd much rather it just hurry up and finish the 802.11n spec already -- it's been two and a half years. Peep the full list of Draft 2.0 certified products after the jump.

Continue reading Wi-Fi Alliance unveils first 802.11n Draft 2.0 products

D-Link's Xtreme N Duo MediaBridge enables HD streaming

by Darren Murph posted May 16th 2007 at 8:34AM

It's not too tough these days to find a router with HD streaming in its arsenal, but D-Link is aiming for a slightly different set with its dual-band Xtreme N Duo MediaBridge. Essentially, this liaison connects to your existing router in order to add 5GHz 802.11n abilities to your setup, which purportedly "helps avoid interference by allowing the user to use the 5GHz frequency band to provide a stable high-performance wireless link for streaming HD video." Clearly designed with the DIR-655 in mind, this device also allows up to five Ethernet-enabled media devices to become attached on a separate unit for even more high-definition WiFi streaming. Notably, the DAP-1555 itself doesn't seem to double as an Ethernet router, and unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the thing ships in Q3 to find out how much it'll dent your wallet.

[Via SmallNetBuilder

Asus giving certain notebooks the draft-N love

by Evan Blass posted Mar 1st 2007 at 3:20PM

So you've just picked up your new Airport Extreme router, and now you want a laptop that can handle those higher draft-N speeds. Well chances are good that you're gonna pick up a MacBook to fill the void, but if for some reason you're craving an ODM notebook, Asus is reporting that it's now got your back. As of today, the company will begin shipping select laptops with Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N-endowed chipsets, giving the mostly higher-end models the ability to stream some pretty bandwidth-heavy HD content. According to Asus, the S6Fm, V1Jp, W2P, VX2, and W6Fp are all getting the 802.11n treatment, specifically Intel's latest, power-sipping chips. Toss a 3G wireless card in one of these bad boys, and you've got yourself some of the best wireless connectivity that money can buy.

[Via laptoping]

Apple ships AirPort Extreme 802.11n router, busts out $1.99 802.11n Enabler

by Paul Miller posted Jan 30th 2007 at 11:21AM

Looks like those new shuffles weren't the only thing to pop up on Apple's store this morning, Apple has also finally released that AirPort Extreme 802.11n Enabler we've heard so much about. We figure there's been enough drama at this point, so just suffice it to say that if you have a MacBook C2D, MacBook Pro C2D, Mac Pro with AirPort Extreme or a C2D iMac that isn't the 17-inch 1.83GHz model, you can fork over your two bucks and update right now to glorious draft-n wonderment.

[Via AppleInsider]

Update: Apple let us know that you can't identify systems with the Network Utility; the 802.11n capability only shows up if you've used the software update, so know your mac and get the update if you need it. Also, the $1.99 update is considered by Apple to be a site license, so you can upgrade all the machines in your home with the single $2 purchase (if you didn't alright sign up for the router). Not bad!

Update 2: It wasn't entirely clear before, but the launch of the Enabler coincides with the launch of the AirPort Extreme today, too. Don't let the "Estimated Ship: February" on their site fool you, Apple is definitely shipping now.

Intel's built-in 802.11n Mini PCI card gets official

by Darren Murph posted Jan 23rd 2007 at 5:12PM

We realize that Intel has probably waited about as long as it possibly can on this not-yet-ratified 802.11n deal, but on the very day we see some rare signs of life in the 802.11 task force, Intel is making its own draft-spec 802.11n Mini PCI card official. While we've known that Intel would be backing the protocol for some time now, the company has just announced that the 4965agn card (backwards compatible with a/b/g networks) will be replacing the existing 3945abg card and should be shipping on most Vista-equipped laptops. Intel claims that its new card will offer up "five times the performance, twice the range, and greater battery life" than its predecessor. Additionally, the firm launched the "Connect with Centrino" campaign, which will force vendors such as Asus, Belkin, Buffalo, D-Link, and Netgear to pass Intel's own line of testing in order to receive its coveted seal of approval, which is just begging to cause inoperability problems whenever 802.11n goes final. Users interested in getting the latest WiFi chip in their Centrino package can look for that (probably large) palm rest sticker signifying that it's certified starting this week, and if you're ~~completely bored~~ interested, you can click on through to see a demonstration video on how Intel tests its own Connect with Centrino program.

Continue reading Intel's built-in 802.11n Mini PCI card gets official