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Belkin Offering Pre-802.11N Products

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the bytes-in-the-backyard dept.

redshield3 writes "Belkin is offering what it is calling "pre-802.11n" products for mass consumers now. CompUSA is reportedly carrying these items in stores. They claim 800% range improvement over 802.11g as well as full backwards compatibility and the ability to continue pushing out n-speeds when a 802.11g or 802.11b device is introduced to the network."

4 of 213 comments (clear)

  1. Fry's Electronics by azadam · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I saw one of these on the shelf the other day. The price wasn't much higher than for 802.11g options.... my biggest question would be whether a firmware upgrade would necessarily be able to bring these into full 802.11n compatibility once the standard is ratified?

    It would suck to end up locked into a dead-end solution like that, but if it can be patched to become standard.... I might think about trying it out.

    1. Re:Fry's Electronics by kanweg · · Score: 5, Informative

      Well, it seems to work for 802.11g now, which will continue to work once 802.11n is ratified. So, if it isn't much more expensive, you haven't lost much, do you?

      Bert

  2. Old News by beaverbrother · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is not new news, they were advertising them in november.

  3. Re:I dont understand by Jozer99 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Because 802.11n is not ratified yet, and will almost definitely change from the draft it is now. What Belkin has done was intergrate some of the proposed improvements that we can expect. However, they may not be in final form, so if the draft changes much, the products will no longer be compatable. This may be as easy to fix as a firmware update or driver download, or it may leave you with a bunch of equiptment that is not compatable with anything else. Also, I am not sure of this, but if 802.11n is already considered a standard, even an unratified one, then Belkin could get sued for using the name if their products do no conform to the final standard.