Aruba Networks White Paper Sample

The 802.11n standard heralds a new world for enterprise wireless networks. 802.11n brings higher data rates, longer range and more reliable coverage than previous Wi-Fi technology: it represents a significant upgrade in performance. Not only will 802.1n change what you can expect from a wireless LAN, it will change how you think about wireless technology. For example, you will often want to avoid ‘line of sight’, as 802.11n actually works better when there are signal reflections in the radio path from transmitter to receiver, meaning performance can improve as distance increases.

Migration strategies will require some careful planning. In this paper, we will explain the advanced technology introduced in 802.11n, allowing non-specialists to understand its benefits and to plan their own upgrade strategies. Wi-Fi technology has carved a path of ever-increasing performance from the earliest pre-802.11 standards through 802.11b to 802.11a/g, with peak data rates rising from 2Mbps to 54Mbps. The latest set of innovations is a package known as 802.11n. As 802.11n is a very new technology, this paper should be considered a snapshot of progress in late 2007, rather than a definitive guide.