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Pre-802.11n Offers 4x the Speed

An anonymous reader writes "Belkin said on Monday that they'll be releasing a wireless network card and router that uses pre-802.11n multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology created by Airgo Networks. Belkin said the new pre-n products will provide four times faster speed and coverage area than 802.11b and g products. The new products will also be compatible with older products and in fact will increase performance on those older products."

4 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. Re:wireless vs wire by peculiarmethod · · Score: 3, Informative

    yup, I agree. I live under a flight path in san diego.. 2 miles outside of downtown, and 8 miles from the airport. Every 15 mins or so, abotu every 5th airplane, they are either low enough, or a specific type of airplane broadcasting signals strong enough to interfer with my wireless network. It only take 20-45 secs to re-establish the connection.. but you must agree this is not acceptable for some routines online, and obviously does not happen with hard wire.

    pm

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    ** "It's not my job to stand between the people talking to me, and the ones listening to me." -- Pego the Jerk
  2. Article Text by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Wi-Fi Gets Speed Boost with Pre-802.11n Products
    Posted: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 11:38:03 GMT
    Author: Matt Cameron

    Belkin said on Monday that they'll be releasing a wireless network card and router that uses pre-802.11n multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology created by Airgo Networks. Belkin said the new pre-n products will provide four times faster speed and coverage area than 802.11b and g products. The new products will also be compatible with older products and in fact will increase performance on those older products.

    "Our research shows that, with current wireless technology, people are experiencing poor coverage and performance at farther distances in their homes due to interference from other wireless networks, cordless phones, and other appliances," explains Eric Tong, VP Marketing and Product Development. "Our Pre-N products with True MIMO will empower users by providing a wireless network that makes poor coverage issues a thing of the past."

    Belkin utilizes True MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) from Airgo Networks in its Pre-N products. True MIMO is the first technology to address the issues of coverage, speed, and interference in larger homes and offices.

    True MIMO is a smart-antenna technique that uses multiple antennas to transmit and receive wireless signals. It reaches a step further than other smart-antenna technologies by transmitting multiple signals on each antenna. As a result, Belkin's Pre-N products with True MIMO technology create a robust wireless connection while providing a larger coverage area with the bandwidth and quality of service needed to run advanced applications, such as streaming video or Voice over IP (VoIP).

    True MIMO is one of the underlying technologies being considered for 802.11n, a standard in the works for the next generation of Wi-Fi technology.

    "True MIMO is a breakthrough technology that fundamentally changes the way radio waves are sent and received. More importantly, True MIMO changes the way consumers are able to use wireless products," says Greg Raleigh, Chief Executive and President of Airgo Networks. "The immediate performance benefits realized with True MIMO, especially over expanded coverage areas, are why this technology has been chosen to power the upcoming 802.11n high-performance wireless standard. Reliability rivaling that of wired connections and effortless connectivity at real-world distances is why Belkin's True MIMO products have ushered in a new era in wireless."

  3. Re:must have more speed by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 3, Informative

    Isn't Verizon doing FTTP with up to 30mbit speeds available? Some people have cable speeds of 6mbit downlink, which is a bit more than what "b" can provide in useable bitrate.

    It isn't prohibitively costlier to go with "g". It is like, 4x faster for only 10$ per component? If you must scrape every dollar, then $10 savings is important, but I'd think for the long term, it is worth while.

  4. Clarity for 802.11 TgN by Zabu · · Score: 3, Informative

    Task Group N is still in the mix.
    TgN's point of focus is to offer better wireless service. It will operate in the frequency range 5.18 Ghz and 5.32 Ghz. The current frequency range that all 802.11a products use. I think the plan is to use the OFDM rates of .11a with 802.11e (QoS). Using MIMO on all stations, with DLP (802.11e) would in fact allow stations to communicate through eachother, instead of the access point. Relaying signals on multiple frequencies through stations would give better coverage, and with DLP essentially cutting all station-2-station traffic in half would free up the medium (their idea of faster?). Either way it is still not going to be around for a while.

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    It's all good.