IEEE 802.11n Amendment Defines Mechanisms for Wireless LANs
October 2, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standards Board approved IEEE 802.11n-2009, an amendment to IEEE 802.11 that defines mechanisms to provide improved data rates and ranges for wireless local area networks (WLANs).
According to IEEE, this amendment defines modifications to both the 802.11 physical layers and the 802.11 medium access control (MAC) layer.
The goal is to enable modes of operation that are capable of higher throughputs, with a maximum throughput of at least 100 Mbps, as measured at the MAC data service access point.
The IEEE 802.11 standard defines how to design interoperable WLAN equipment that provides a variety of capabilities including a range of data rates, quality of service, reliability, range optimization, device link options, network management and security.
Since 2007, the Wi-Fi Alliance has been certifying interoperability of "draft N" products based on what was draft 2.0 of the IEEE 802.11n specification. The group confirmed that all formerly certified products will remain compatible with the products conforming to the final standard.
The Wi-Fi Alliance expects to upgrade its suite of compatibility tests to coincide with the amendment's publication.
More than 400 individuals including equipment and silicon suppliers, service providers, systems integrators, consultant organizations and academic institutions from more than 20 countries helped develop the amendment, which is scheduled for publication in mid-October.
Source: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association (IEEE-SA).