Wi-Fi access-point maker Meru Networks has dismissed tests carried out by rival Aruba, which reported Meru's 802.11n technology as trailing the field.

Aruba Networks published tests earlier this week that mixed four enterprise-class 802.11n access points (AP) with several branded laptops to see which delivered the best throughput and scalability. Aruba's AP came top, while Meru's lagged behind in fourth place.

Now Meru has decided to chuck some rock-hard buns back at its rival.

"We have over 50 such customers while we know of only one from Aruba," said vice president of strategic marketing, Rachna Ahlawat, in an e-mailed response. "To our knowledge [Aruba] has yet to deploy a single 11n AP.

"Meru has done the same testing and has totally different numbers. It is our view that Aruba's test methodology is not clearly defined and as a result leaves many unanswered questions," she said.

Ahlawat backed up her argument with direct feedback from customers, and pointed to the company's claimed greater experience with 802.11n APs.

"Coming late to this developing standard has clearly not given Aruba any advantage as far as silicon is concerned. All vendors utilize the same chip sets. Meru has far more experience with these chip sets as we have had products utilizing them over the last two quarters and are offering four different APs for 11n -- the latest, the AP302 just announced this week," she said.

At the time of writing, Meru had yet to offer further detail on its own tests.

Wireless hardware is one of IT's super-competitive zones, so Meru's touchiness is to be expected. Wi-Fi vendors in the enterprise space appear to relish baiting one another.

And the company has grounds for its concerns about Aruba's tests. While technically valid, they might also not reflect real-world performance. There are, as yet, no independent, agreed tests for measuring 802.11n throughput and client scaling, so it is easy for vendors to generate self-serving figures, however correctly the tests are carried out.

In late 2007, Meru laid claim to having installed the world's first campus network based on 802.11n technology.