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802.11g Approved By IEEE 54 mb/s on 2.4 gigahertz

Posted by Hemos on from the but-it-interferes-with-my-phone dept.

wavecentral writes "IEEE just approved the 802.11g as the new standard in a vote late Thursday. This enables data transfer rates of up to 54 megabits per sec and works on the 2.4 gigahertz band that 802.11b uses. This in turn makes it compatable and operable between the offical standard." Ewann also writes: "By mid-2002 we should be seeing products based on this technology. Unlike 5 GHz 802.11a, 802.11g is backwards compatible with the huge installed base of 802.11b products. Cool stuff if you want to wirelessly stream video and music in your home. More info on 0211-planet."

2 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. Not just backwards compatibility by 90XDoubleSide · · Score: 5, Interesting

    802.11a has very short range, which is why Apple did not implement it in its new AirPort products, but chose to wait out for 802.11g, which will offer the same range and backwards-compatibility. As was mentioned, the products probably won't be available until mid-2002. From an ITWorld article: "The range supported from access point to client in an 11M-bit/sec network is about 300 feet. The shorter, wider radio waves in a 5GHz 802.11a LAN, while offering more capacity, transmit only about 90 feet."

    --
    "Reality is just a convenient measure of complexity" -Alvy Ray Smith
  2. More details please! by pwagland · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If anyone can answer any of these questions I'll buy them a beer! the article is decidely fluffy on these details, and a quick google search turned up nothing of value...

    1) How does it achieve backwards compatability?
    1a) If you throw an 802.11b into an 802.11g network, what impact does it have on performance? i.e. does the 11b drag the network down?
    1b) How are broadcast packets sent? (11b or 11g standard?)

    2) Is 802.11g more or less resisant to "hostile RF". that 2.4Ghz spectrum is crowded, does 802.11g improve resiliance to interference?

    3) How is the range of 802.11g? I understand that the range of 802.11a (the other high speed wireless at 5Ghz) has a much shorter range due largely to the fact that it is at 5Ghz. Does 11g retain the strength of 11b here?

    4) What is the security protocol? We all know that WEP in 11b is broken....

    If yo uhave the information, please pass it on!