Next-gen Wi-Fi arriving shortly

The next generation of wireless Internet products certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance is expected to hit shelves this year.

The Wi-Fi Alliance was announcing this week that it will begin certifying wireless routers, networking cards, microchips and other so-called “Draft N” products in June. The products, which take their name from the upcoming 802.11n technical standard, are expected to reach retail stores shortly thereafter.

Wi-Fi comes in several flavors — “b,” “a,” “g,” and soon “n” — referring to the subsection of the technical guidelines issued by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a technical professional organization.

The “n” version is expected to be about five times faster than the widely used “g” variety, though in practice, speeds rarely reach what’s listed on the box. Draft N products are said to offer better reach through walls and into dead spots and will use multiple radios to send and receive data, making them better at handling big video files.

Gear rated to handle n-level wireless already is being sold. But the Wi-Fi Alliance said certified Draft N items from different vendors are guaranteed to work together and to work with older certified Wi-Fi products.

Source: Yahoo! News

Related Links: Wi-Fi Alliance

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