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News Wi-Fi Alliance launches WiGig certification programme

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Gareth Halfacree, 25 Oct 2016.

  1. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Gareth Halfacree, 25 Oct 2016
    #1
  2. jb0

    jb0 Minimodder

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    " original 802.11b "
    What, no love for 802.11a? That's fair, no one else loved it either.
     
    jb0, 25 Oct 2016
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  3. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Actually, the first commercially available version of the protocol was 802.11 (no letters), which ran at a 'blistering' 2Mb/s (and, fact fans, could run over radiowaves or infrared light!). This was followed by 802.11b in 1999 at 11Mb/s, which was the first version to be called Wi-Fi (i.e. the Wi-Fi Alliance was founded in 1999 and certified 802.11b as Wi-Fi.) 802.11a was an amendment to 802.11 ratified at the same time as 802.11b, but - and this is key, here - problems with manufacturing for the 5GHz band meant that 802.11b products hit the market first.

    Thus, 802.11 is the 'original' 802.11-family wireless networking standard but 802.11b is the 'original' Wi-Fi wireless networking standard. The More You Know!(TM)
     
    Gareth Halfacree, 25 Oct 2016
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  4. Jimbob

    Jimbob Minimodder

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    Netgear and TP-Link have already released compatible routers for £400-£500. The problem is, not only is the headline speed entirely pointless (unless shifting data across server/client with SSD drives) but because of the use of 60GHz the range is appalling . At best it has 1 room coverage.

    There is certainly still a use though, but the range is certainly a seriously limiting factor.
     
    Jimbob, 25 Oct 2016
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  5. Flibblebot

    Flibblebot Smile with me

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    Are we going to have another situation like the one that happened with 802.11n? Where manufacturers were selling "pre-n" and "draft-n" routers that were incompatible with the (eventually) ratified 802.11n standard?
     
    Flibblebot, 25 Oct 2016
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  6. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    In theory, no, as 802.11ad has already been ratified; in practice, entirely possibly. I certainly wouldn't pick up an 802.11ad device that hadn't been blessed by the Wi-Fi Alliance, just 'cos the WFA is basically the be-all and end-all of consumer 802.11 stuff.
     
    Gareth Halfacree, 25 Oct 2016
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