Wi-Fi 11n competition heats up

With new enterprise Wi-Fi deployments moving to 802.11n, Wi-Fi makers are anxious to show that their systems can handle 802.11n's throughput in ways that make the user experience as close to wired Ethernet as you can get when still using a shared access medium.

So Wi-Fi vendors are doing what they can to demonstrate performance and reliability with their 802.11n networks. Some of those vendors will be exhibiting at the upcoming Interop show in Las Vegas.

Interop Planning Guide: Cloudy Forecast

First, there's still a loud buzz about moving data forwarding to "the edge" -- meaning out to APs -- rather than tromboning all traffic back to a central controller and creating a bottleneck. Many of the controller-based Wi-Fi vendors have addressed this issue over the past 18 months with revamped hybrid or distributed architectures that minimize packet pileups.

But the architecture wars blaze on.

Similarly, expect to see continued enhancements to RF performance management tools. Aruba Networks has already recently announced its new Spectrum Analysis Module, for example, a software-based RF spectrum analyzer that works with all Aruba AP-105 and AP-120 series 802.11n APs. Motorola and Xirrus have similar capabilities built into their APs, and related announcements are forthcoming.

Spectrum analyzers scour the airwaves for sources of interference -- Wi-Fi or other -- to provide visibility into air conditions to network administrators. By knowing what kinds of devices are out there and where, IT can keep the air as uncluttered as possible -- all to help wireless emulate wired Ethernet to the optimum degree.

Finally, there is still AP price battling going on at the low end. Most recently, Enterasys announced its $685, 2x3 MIMO, dual-radio AP3605, slated to ship by the end of June. Enterasys says it intends to take on the Aruba AP-105 2x2 MIMO and Cisco 1142 series APs with its controller-based AP. Note, too, though, that Motorola offers a $685 2x3 MIMO 802.11n AP.

Several vendors have announced 2x2 MIMO, dual-radio products in the $600-$700 range and at least two single-radio products have fallen below $500.  

The 2x3 MIMO configuration adds receive-antenna diversity that could boost signal strength and improve performance by as much as 25% to 35%, according to Enterasys.