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Overview
802.11n is the long anticipated update to the popular Wi-Fi standards 802.11a/b/g and is expected to bring a 4x increase in throughput and an improvement in range. 802.11n is expected to be ratified by the IEEE within the next 18 months.
In advance of the standard being ratified, similar increases in performance and range are available today with Xirrus’ 802.11a/g Wi-Fi Array that uses high-gain antennas and multiple radios/channels to achieve greater capacity. The modularity and pre-engineered capacity of the Wi-Fi Array allows Xirrus to offer the industry’s first program that allows customers to upgrade from 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi Arrays to 802.11a/b/g/n.
802.11n got its start in January of 2004 when the IEEE announced that it had formed a new Task Group (TGn) to develop the next amendment to the 802.11 standard for wireless local-area networks. 802.11n builds upon previous 802.11 standards with updates to the MAC and by adding MIMO (multiple-input multiple output). MIMO uses multiple transmitter and receiver antennas to allow for increased data throughput through spatial multiplexing and increased range by exploiting the spatial diversity.
802.11n offers many benefits to wireless networking and will also require upgrades in various areas of the wired infrastructure due to the higher data rates and throughput expected. The following table provides a summary comparison between the various 802.11 or wireless local area networking (WLAN) standards.
Wireless Comparison Table
| |
802.11b |
802.11g |
802.11a |
802.11n |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IEEE Ratified |
1999 |
2001 |
1999 |
Expected 2008 |
|
| Frequency |
2.4GHz |
2.4GHz |
5GHz |
2.4GHz |
5GHz |
| Non-overlapping Channels |
3 |
3 |
12 |
3 |
12 |
| Baseline Bandwidth Per Channel |
11Mbps |
54Mbps |
54Mbps |
65Mbps |
65Mbps |
| Number of Spatial Streams |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2, 3* or 4* |
2, 3* or 4* |
| Channel Bonding |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Max Bandwidth Per Channel |
11Mbps |
54Mbps |
54Mbps |
130Mbps |
270Mbps |
For more information on 802.11n, sign up for Xirrus’ Wi-Fi Reference Poster series and get our latest poster on 802.11n.
Xirrus 802.11n Wi-Fi Array Upgradeability
Xirrus’ Wi-Fi Array is the only truly upgradeable 802.11n platform on the market today. It was designed from the ground up to support the standard once ratified because it has the following features:- Firmware-upgradeable MAC
- Modular, Replaceable Radios
- 2Gbps Switching Fabric – needed to handle the higher throughput of 802.11n
- Dual Gigabit Uplink Ports – needed to handle the higher throughput of 802.11n
Xirrus 802.11n Upgrade Guarantee Program
Xirrus has announced the availability of its 802.11n Upgrade Guarantee Program that will provide customers with an 802.11n technology upgrade path on Arrays they purchase today. Xirrus is the unique position to offer an 802.11n Upgrade Guarantee Program due to the Array’s modular design – all RF components of the Wi-Fi Array are located on modular printed circuit boards allowing current Wi-Fi Arrays deployed to be upgraded once new 802.11n radio modules are available. Xirrus Wi-Fi Arrays also feature a firmware upgradeable 802.11 MAC so with a new firmware revision and replacement radio modules, the Wi-Fi Array becomes 802.11n compliant.Competitive offerings, including all thin access point and controller designs, will require a fork lift upgrade due to the “hardened” design of their access points and the performance bottleneck that will be created at the controller/WLAN switch by the increased throughput of 802.11n.
Program Objective
- Provide customers with an 802.11n technology upgrade path on Xirrus 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi Arrays
Program Details
- Advance replacement of radio modules from the factory will be provided
- New firmware upgrade will be required to be performed at time of radio module replacement
Program Pricing
- Incremental charge set at 30% of the list price of each Wi-Fi Array; payable at the time of purchase of the original order
- Incremental charge set at 45% of the list price of each Wi-Fi Array payable in 3 annual payments (15% per year)
- 15% of the Wi-Fi Array’s list price at the time of purchase of the original order
- 15% of the list price payable at the end of the first year from the date of purchase of the original order
- 15% of the list price payable at the end of the second year from the date of purchase of the original order
Terms and Conditions
- Enhanced Care for Hardware (EC-HW-XX) must be purchased for Arrays covered by the 802.11n Upgrade Guarantee Program from time of purchase until upgrade is performed
- Customers must sign up for the Program under 1 of the 2 payment options at the time of Array purchase
- Standard 1 year Hardware warranty will apply to upgraded Arrays
- Option to participate in the 802.11n Guarantee Program is retroactive for existing Xirrus customers for a period of 180 days following announcement of the program
- Customer must upgrade within 1 year of availability of the 802.11n radio modules from Xirrus or by December 31st, 2009
- 802.11n Guarantee Program does NOT include:
- New site survey
- Re-installation costs
Reference Articles on 802.11n
For additional information on the upcoming 802.11n standard, please sign up for Xirrus’ Wi-Fi Reference Poster series and check out the below articles, many of which you will find useful.- Network Computing
IEEE: No Comments, Please! - Network Computing
Move Forward With 802.11n - Network Computing
The New 802.11n Standard - Network Computing
802.11n: Giant Leap For Wireless - Information Week
Wireless-N Could Stand For “Not Interoperable” - VAR Business
5 Things to Know About 802.11n