Unstrung reports some more details on how the APs work. Because it is waiting for a patent, Meru is reluctant to disclose more about how the AP works, she said. Because the packets don't see each other, the 802.11g traffic doesn't switch to a backward compatibility mode, which would require it to communicate with the AP in a way that creates overhead that typically slows down traffic in a mixed environment, said Sarah Kim, senior marketing manager for Meru. The Meru AP virtually separates 802.11g and 802.11b traffic on a per packet basis. Meru Networks introduced a new access point yesterday that it says supports both 802.11g and 802.11b clients at their maximum speeds: Typically, in a mixed environment, an 802.11b client will cause an 802.11g client to slow down considerably. Posted by Glenn Fleishman at 6:12 PM | Permanent Link | Categories: 802.11g, Hardware August 10, 2004 I have a query into Linksys asking if there is any difference with these "new" devices. Update: Tim Higgins of Tom's Networking wrote in to note that Linksys has been selling A+G access points since April 2003-he wonders whether this is just a promotional re-launch instead of new product.
The 802.11a/g (Wireless A+G) equipment will ship in October at pretty low list prices: $89 for a PC or PCI adapter $99 for a USB adapter and $109 for a gateway/router. But they see the future of home entertainment including streaming media that uses 802.11a-in line with Sony's early devices. Thus it's a surprise to see Linksys introduce dual-band 802.11a/g gateways intended for the home market. Because enterprises are more likely to have collections of heavy users, a dense infrastructure is more likely to be needed, making the shorter potential range of 802.11a less of an issue. It's rare to see a technology that's been ostensibly pass by rise from the death, but 802.11a has some life in it yet: I've always been interested in 802.11a because, despite its lower signal propagation potential up in the 5 GHz band, it has had many more channels available for wireless networking from its first days, with more to come as more 5 GHz band is made fully available for unlicensed use. Unringing 802.11a's Death Knell: Linksys Pumps 5 GHz Vertical Markets Academia Enterprise WLAN Switches Home Hot Spot Aggregators Hot Spot Advertising Road Warrior Roaming Libraries Location Medical Public Safety Residential Rural SOHO Small-Medium Sized Business Universities Utilities wISP Transportation and Lodging Air Travel Aquatic Commuting Hotels Rails Metro-Scale Networks Community Networking Municipalīroadband Wireless Cellular 2.5G and 3G 4G Power Line SatelliteĪdministrative Detail April Fool's Blogging Book review Cluelessness Guest Commentary History Humor Self-Promotion Unique Wee-Fi Who's Hot Today?
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