(Editor's note: This popular feature article, which was first published May 2007, is being republished in response to its great popularity and the likelihood that the 802.11n spec will be ratified in ...

The antennas used by wireless devices have a major impact on WLAN coverage, security and performance. This becomes increasingly evident in new draft 802.11n access points (APs), which use multiple ...

In theory, 802.11n can zip by your 100Mbps Fast Ethernet at a real-world 160Mbps, but the practice it's usually much slower. No, the Wi-FI vendors aren't lying; the problem is that you have to set 802 ...

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach. With 802.11n ratification a ...

This information is also available as a TechRepublic PDF download. As the 802.11n standard gets closer to final ratification, Enterprises are beginning to wonder how this may impact their Wireless LAN ...

On numerous occasions, and in our wireless troubleshooting tutorial, we've noted that turning off wireless security (encryption) or switching security protocols (from WPA2 to WEP or vice versa, etc.) ...

But here's the rub: The 802.11n standard is still in draft form. A final standard isn't likely to be released by the IEEE until 2007 at the earliest. Even the second draft of the standard, which will ...

The MacWorld keynotes given this past January will probably go down in history for the announcement of the iPhone, but lost in the signal of that announcement was the launch of a very important ...

Illustration: Mick Wiggins What a difference a couple of years makes. In our first roundup of draft-802.11n Wi-Fi routers (see “Wireless Routers: The Truth About Superfast Draft-N“), we found so many ...

Faster Wi-Fi: It's something we all crave. Fortunately, it's also something we can have, even on a budget. It's not just about fast Internet speeds to and from your service provider. It's also about ...

Backward compatibility with the legacy devices (IEEE 802.11b/g) The typical 802.11n network consists of legacy 802.11b/g enabled systems and new 802.11n enabled MIMO-OFDM systems. The channel access ...

Wi-Fi's biggest advantage is that it provides mobility and coverage. But early versions of Wi-Fi did not achieve data rates on par with the wireline network. Recent advancements in wireless research ...