Communication Breakdown
Communications from the world of, er, communications. And other stuff.
Friday 9 February 2007, 3:38 PM
To "n" or not to "n"?
I recently had to buy a new laptop, and I chose a certain popular manufacturer/retailer. One option I faced in the ordering process was whether to take a chance on 802.11n for my Wi-Fi connectivity. Bearing in mind that this is only "pre-certified" (certification will happen later in the year), I decided to stick with the "g" standard instead.
Yesterday I found myself chatting with Frank Hanzlik of the Wi-Fi Alliance, the certifiers in question. I asked what he thought of the manufacturer offering consumers 802.11n pre-certified kit, and he said it was a "very personal decision".
Now, the Wi-Fi Alliance have to be pretty neutral in this stuff, except to say that, obviously, certified is preferable. "Some people buy a router every year, others want it to last 2 or 3 years," was what he was prepared to say. Perhaps I was reading something into that incorrectly, perhaps correctly, but I'm glad I stuck with the certified standard this time round. It's not like I even use the full capabilities of "g" anyway.
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