IEEE 802.11n, the next generation wireless LAN technology, promises to meet the constant demand for higher data rates, reliable connectivity, and wider coverage. With an 802.11n client and router, real world throughput clocks in at 160Mbps or faster—seven times faster than older 802.11g networks.
At 300 feet, 802.11g performance plummets to 1Mbps. 802.11n networks operate at up to 70Mbps—70 times faster than 802.11g. Add some enterprise Access Points (AP), the range can grow well beyond the 300 ft. The key to this speed is MIMO (multiple input/multiple output) which uses multiple antennas to send and receive digital data in multiple simultaneous radio streams, thus multiplying total performance..
802.11n runs on the 5GHz spectrum, which is beneficial because there are fewer devices in that spectrum. By comparison, 802.11b and g run at 2.4GHz. Many organizations have had to move from b and g just to avoid interference with microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth, etc. Many environments were too noisy yielding too much interference, groups had to change technology – to 802.11a, which also runs on 5GHz spectrum – to fix their issues. 802.11a runs on the 5GHz spectrum while b and g runs at 2.4GHz. 802.11n also runs on 2.4 and 5, so there’s backward compatibility. Prior, 802.11a was not backwards compatible with b or g. If your organization is invested in either spectrum, you have an option to start upgrading to n.
802.11n is backwards compatible with prior 802.11 standards (802.11b, 802.11g) and is designed to accommodate future technology changes.
802.11n automatically detects the network type on the other end of the connection and instantly adjusts the speed of the conversation to match it, making it compatible with older 802.11b and 802.11g devices.
Network Security:
802.11n uses WPA and WPA2 to secure the network. WPA2, or Wi-Fi protected access, authenticates computers on a Wi-Fi network and provides a complex algorithm for encrypting communication. 802.11n products using SecureEasySetup make activating security as simple as pushing a button. That’s all that’s required to establish a strong, hard-to-crack WPA or WPA2 security key that locks down your network, ensuring the privacy of all communications.
