802.11b chipsets, that is.
As wireless LAN users, we don’t give much thought to the chipsets we’re using. And why should we? If there’s a problem, it’s not like we call Intersil or Agere Systems.
But there is reason to care. Competition between 802.11b silicon vendors has resulted in a drastic decline in hardware prices. Three years ago, a wireless LAN card cost $250; an access point $500.Today you can get them for $40 and $70, respectively.
And prices will keep on dropping. Taiwanese vendors such as AMDTek and RealTek have for years specialized in low-cost Ethernet network interface card (NIC) and switch silicon. Now it’s entering the wireless LAN business, selling 802.11b chipsets at extremely low prices. This translates into costs for cards and access points falling into the sub-$20 and sub-$40 range, respectively.
But with the advent of faster 802.11g technology, will older, slower 802.11b still matter? Yes. But not as the mainstay of NICs and access points, but as the technology of choice for the emerging embedded device market.
What do I mean by embedded? Think digital audio receivers, Internet radios, smart displays and gaming consoles — all with a built-in 802.11b connection. With a network connection, these products rise in value. And if a device has enough electrical and processing power to handle a wireless connection, vendors can add one for little cost.
Think about the next-generation X-Box. Today the console has an Ethernet connection, but why shouldn’t Microsoft add 802.11b? Gaming traffic is not bandwidth intensive, and if the device has good quality-of-service mechanisms (gaming is latency sensitive), then 802.11b would be a big end-user benefit. Since Microsoft loses money on every X-Box it sells to compete with Sony’s Playstation2, you can bet it’ll be extremely price sensitive to any new components, making 802.11b a smart choice.
The best analogy for what’s happening with wireless LANs today is the dial-up modem. Many readers remember buying US Robotics or Zoom modems at local retail, but over time these connections just became embedded. Soon that will be the case with WLAN. Some connections, such as those on laptops, will use the latest 802.11g and 802.11a technology. But many devices, like digital audio receivers, video game systems and Web cameras, may use older, slower technology.
Either way, we’ll just be glad to be connected.
