dslreports logo
Will 802.11n Be The Only Option?
Study predicts that’s the case
If you’re going to purchase any new consumer electronics devices, you might want to make sure that they use 802.11n chipsets. That’s because a recent study says that all Wi-Fi other than this is going to be phased out. The study predicts over 215 million of the chipsets in place by 2011, although they’ll be in hybrid devices. The reasoning behind the study is that 802.11n can be used to wirelessly route video throughout a home and therefore it’ll be the most sensible thing to use for routing which will require all devices to be compatible. What will be the implications for WiMax?
view:
topics flat nest 

Michieru2
zzz zzz zzz
Premium Member
join:2005-01-28
Miami, FL

Michieru2

Premium Member

802.11G

802.11G is capable of streaming video, while not optimized it can pass just fine compressed at 2.5MB/sec video.

For a H.264 video file that will be more than enough for some HD content, the problem is only range.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_

Premium Member

Re: 802.11G

um WiFi G can do 24mbps nice try

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

2 edits

1 recommendation

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: 802.11G

said by Anonymous_:

um WiFi G can do 24mbps nice try
Maybe you missed the part where he said MegaBYTES and not MegaBITS. His number and yours are roughly equivalent. And G doesn't always get to 24 mbits/sec. It often tops out at 19 or 20 mbits/sec.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

3 edits

Anonymous_

Premium Member

Re: 802.11G

that is on the el crapo routers

you only need 19.2mbps for an hd Stream any how

or 1.5Gigbit/s for uncompressed

with DD-WRT installed you can get 24mbps see here
»dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewto ··· hp?t=341

NOCMan
MadMacHatter
Premium Member
join:2004-09-30
Colorado Springs, CO

NOCMan

Premium Member

Re: 802.11G

ddwrt does not automatically guarantee those speeds. I have 27 access points visible from my HOUSE and it's probably worse in some apartment complexes.

Guspaz
Guspaz
MVM
join:2001-11-05
Montreal, QC

Guspaz to Anonymous_

MVM

to Anonymous_
In my house, one floor above or below my access point, speeds drop to about 10mbit.

In my apartment, I'm to get as good as 10% packetloss to the building wifi, IF I even can connect at all. I need to have a dd-wrt router sitting a foot from my front door acting as a relay to even get that good of a connection.

The fact is, your theoretical speeds on your non "el crapo" routers are all well and good, but they don't exist in REAL world situations where signals are shoddy and every client shares bandwidth.

Wireless networks are like a hub, not a switch. If your network can pass 24mbit, one single transfer between two wireless clients can do at most 12mbit per second, since there are two transmissions involved (your PC to AP, AP to remote PC). As the number of clients on an access point goes up, the possible speeds drop in a non-linear and quite startling way.

And forget about mixed mode! With all those 802.11b devices out there polluting networks, speeds drop even further. Even in a home network, annoying 802.11b devices pop up. The Nintendo DS (802.11b and WEP only), and the Nintendo Wii (802.11b and WPA) are examples. The solution there is to set up a second network for the Nintendo and other 802.11b devices, a non-ideal solution.

So, 802.11g isn't fast enough for standard HD streams if both devices are wireless, even under ideal conditions. 802.11n bumps up the bandwidth and range so much that it's pretty much required to make this work. And even then, 802.11n isn't as big a leap as I'd like.

Wikipedia says the throughput for 802.11n is 74mbit (contrasted with 802.11g's 20mbit throughput). That 74mbit goes fast when you put a few connections on it. Already you're limited to half that when two wireless devices are communicating, or 37mbit. Yes, that's fast enough for an HD stream, but add more clients and throw in mixed mode and speeds will degrade very quickly.

I think we'll have such throughput issues until actual throughput speeds hit a gigabit or so. Assuming this happens relatively soon, by that point we should be beyond the "it's not even fast enough to do XYZ" phase.

Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

Camelot One

MVM

2011?

They are basing a recommendation to buy N gear now, on what the market will be like in 2011? That's atleast 3 laptops down the road for me. (though the current is already N)

But anyone who isn't the type to upgrade for another 4 years, also probably isn't the type to buy the latest right now either.

Jerm
join:2000-04-10
Richland, WA
·Ziply Fiber

Jerm

Member

Re: 2011?

Umm think about this everyone:

Who of you still use 802.11B routers exclusively?

N is backwards compatible with G, just as G is with B...

It's only natural that new devices will all be the new N standard, but operate with G equipment. Duh. I don't see why this is news?

antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

antdude

Premium Member

Re: 2011?

said by Jerm:

Umm think about this everyone:

Who of you still use 802.11B routers exclusively?

N is backwards compatible with G, just as G is with B...

It's only natural that new devices will all be the new N standard, but operate with G equipment. Duh. I don't see why this is news?
I am still using a 802.11b WAP. It is old and works in this house. I rarely do LAN file transfers. Cable is only up to 6 Mb/sec.

exocet_cm
Writing
Premium Member
join:2003-03-23
Brooklyn, NY

1 recommendation

exocet_cm

Premium Member

Phased out where?

In my house? Um, no. I'll keep it. Hell, I use wired primarily anyway so

anon_5224
join:2001-10-23
united state

anon_5224

Member

Re: Phased out where?

wired certainly is the way to go if one is serious about any kind of home-media use. wi-fi was never intended as a way to run an amateur tv station in the home.

antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

antdude

Premium Member

Re: Phased out where?

said by anon_5224:

wired certainly is the way to go if one is serious about any kind of home-media use. wi-fi was never intended as a way to run an amateur tv station in the home.
Same here, but that's hard to do with laptops/notebooks or if one can't drill holes in the house/apartment.

anon_5224
join:2001-10-23
united state
Asus RT-AC66

anon_5224

Member

Re: Phased out where?

i don't see how anyone who only has the means for a notebook and/or an apartment can justify the enormous cost of 802.11-anything compared with el-cheapo NIC's and CAT-5. i mean, if it were me, i'd rather have CAT-5 strung through the apartment to gig-E switches and NIC's, all of which would cost just a little more than a turbo-charged wi-fi system and do much much more.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to exocet_cm

Premium Member

to exocet_cm
personally id run Cat6 in any new construction. heck have cat 6 with every electrical outlet if you want to spent the money. and a nice fat gigabit switch in a closet.

ps i know a network jack by each plug(outside of the kitchen) would be totally overkill.

anon_5224
join:2001-10-23
united state
Asus RT-AC66

anon_5224

Member

Re: Phased out where?

said by Kearnstd:

ps i know a network jack by each plug(outside of the kitchen) would be totally overkill.
not to mention potential interference issues, especially with gig-E...
bmn
? ? ?

join:2001-03-15
hiatus

1 recommendation

bmn

As long as 802.11a is around...

I'll be sticking to it. It is fast enough and it is out of the morass of a spectrum called 2.4ghz where every Dick and Jane in the neighborhood has their access points.

Of course if I'm going to do anything with streaming video in my home, it is going to be across GigE. I'm not one of those pansy ass people who is too stupid to know what the wires in his entertainment setup are for and how to hook them up.

PolarBear03
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium Member
join:2005-01-03

1 recommendation

PolarBear03

Premium Member

G will still have good uses.

said by KathrynV See Profile's summary :

The reasoning behind the study is that 802.11n can be used to wirelessly route video throughout a home and therefore it’ll be the most sensible thing to use for routing which will require all devices to be compatible.
I understand the need for N, but phasing out G is ridiculous. This device and this device will probably never need anything faster than G. Also, I have never had trouble streaming video over my wireless-G network.

This is just FUD to make people go buy all new unnecessary hardware.

I wonder who paid them to do this "analysis." Someone like Broadcom maybe?

dadkins
Can you do Blu?
MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA

dadkins

MVM

TV? No prob!

SD TV is a non-issue for "g" wireless... I do it all the time!
MPEG2 @ 8mbps... works fine!
Now, Blu-ray across "g"? Not happening.
Upwards of 48mbps(audio & video combined) for some discs.

BK3
join:2001-04-10
Geneva, IL

1 recommendation

BK3

Member

When finalized

I'll consider moving to 802.11n AFTER the spec is finalized. Who knows what changes (if any) may occur between now and then? Besides, G does everything I need for a wireless to do for me. Why spend the extra money now? Prices on computer stuff always drop with time. I'll just wait until the time is ripe.

Sircolby450
join:2005-11-26

1 recommendation

Sircolby450

Member

Re: When finalized

Same here. I am not wasting my money on un-finalized gear. Most of my computers are wired anyway. I run one computer wirelessly, which is the laptop.

AdamB0
join:2001-01-07
Columbus, OH

1 recommendation

AdamB0 to BK3

Member

to BK3
I'm waiting too until it's a standard spec. I wish I could do everything wired, but that's hard when computers are on different floors.

prestonlewis
Premium Member
join:2003-04-13
Sacramento, CA

prestonlewis

Premium Member

So confusing

We use the 108 Netgear wireless stuff so it probably connects at what, 60mBps? It works fine for XBoxLive and computers. No issues there. However, my kids like to watch movies that are based on my computer. Today's wireless won't do it, 100mBps wiring won't do it, only gigabit (1000) will transfer movies seamlessly without bothering me on my computer and without problems on the kids computers. I've already decided my next router will be a gigabit router and I'm looking for a NAS that is gigabit since transfering large files across a 100 network using the NAS takes too long. As for N, who knows what to buy? The various flavors of pre-n don't work together, right?

sivran
Vive Vivaldi
Premium Member
join:2003-09-15
Irving, TX

sivran

Premium Member

Re: So confusing

Those movies clearly need to be compressed a bit more.
vinnie97
Premium Member
join:2003-12-05
US

vinnie97 to prestonlewis

Premium Member

to prestonlewis
With N, there is some compatibility, like with Broadcom and Qualcom. We're in draft 2 now as well, so I think any hardware subscribing to said draft should (theoretically) be functional with the rest. The Asus WL-500W promises to be standard compatible as well. See this guarantee: »event.asus.com/2006/wire ··· ss/pren/ (free firmware OR hardware upgrade, whatever is required).
smallblock
join:2004-01-03
Milford, MA

smallblock

Member

N speeds

I have a dlink extreme draftn router. Nice piece of equipment, great range. We also have several notebooks with certified n cards.With the network encrypted(as it should be) we run at G speed 54Mbps.Only with the network wide open(sure ) can we see speeds over 175Mbps.....