802.11n Vs g Comparison An important part of wireless networking basics is knowing about the various standards. The IEEE 802.

11 is a periodically updated set of standards that governs the communication over a WLAN through the 2.4GHz, 3.6 GHz and 5GHz radio frequencies. When it comes to production of wireless communication devices like wireless routers, it is essential that a set of universally accepted standards is defined to establish uniformity between various wireless products, manufactured by different companies all over the world. The first set of standards were defined in 1997 and since then it has gone through a host of periodic amendments as wireless networking technology has improved. The two most recent standards are 802.11g (declared in 2003) and 802.11n (declared in 2009). Most of the latest wireless devices, designed for WLANs, are based either on 802.11n or 802.11g. Let us make a 802.11n vs g Wi-Fi network standard comparison that will help you decide which one to opt for. 802.11n Vs g: Frequency & Speed First let us have a look at the 802.11g standard. The 802.11g standard, also known as, IEEE 802.11g 2003 is one of the most widely implemented network standards today. All devices based on this standard operate using the 2.4 GHz band of radio frequencies (with a bandwidth of 20 MHz). This frequency is same as the one used by the earlier 802.11b standard. The maximum raw data transfer rate at which devices under this standard operate is 54 Mb/ sec. However, the net throughput is around 19 Mb/sec only. All 802.11g based devices are backward compatible with the earlier 802.11b hardware. It uses a different modulation scheme at different data transfer rates. For high data transfer rates, it uses the OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) scheme. A major drawback of this standard is that it suffers from interference problems from devices like microwave ovens, baby monitors, cordless phones and bluetooth devices. The 802.11n standard was designed to be an improvement over 802.11g. Devices based on this standards operate in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz range (with a bandwidth of 40 MHz). This standard offers a maximum raw data transfer rate ranging from 54 Mb/sec to 600 Mbit/sec. Actually achieved speeds range from 130 to 160 Mb/sec. The doubling of bandwidth from 20 MHz to 40 MHz greatly increases the speed of data transfer. It has a MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) architecture which is a smart antenna technology that significantly improves data transfer speeds. It allows 4 MIMO streams. Devices based on 802.11n standard are backward compatible with earlier standards. However, to operate over the 5GHz frequency band, all communication devices must be based on 802.11n standard. 802.11n Vs g: Range In terms of range, 802.11g based devices can have a maximum indoor range of 38 meters or 125 feet.

Outdoor achievable range under this standard is 140 meters or 460 feet. One point in this wireless n vs g comparison, where 802.11n stands out, is the coverage range it offers. It offers a maximum range of 70 meters or 230 feet indoors. The outdoor range can extend to as much as 250 meters or 820 feet. The range is slightly lesser when operating on the 5 GHz range but there is an advantage of having lesser interference from surrounding devices. Opting for 802.11n would be certainly beneficial as it offers higher data transfer speeds, greater coverage range and will also be compatible with future upgrades. Hope this 802.11n vs g comparison has cleared all your doubts regarding both standards.

802.11n Caveats
It is important to understand the potential downsides to any exciting new technology and 802.11n is no different. Following are the list of practical issues to consider when migrating to 802.11n. However, there are a couple of basic issues to take into account when considering an 802.11n deployment, Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Traffic Forwarding.

Power over Ethernet:

Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a technology used on wired Ethernet LANs (Local Area Networks). PoE is defined by the IEEE 802.3af specification and allows the electrical current necessary for the operation of a remote device to be carried over the Ethernet LAN cables rather than by power cords. PoE reduces network cost and complexity by reducing the number of wires that must be pulled to install a network. The 802.3af standard states exactly how much power is to be provided via the Ethernet cable. The specification guarantees 12.95 Watts of power to a remote device (at a maximum distance of 100 meters). A new PoE proposal, 802.3at, also called POE Plus, promises to double the raw wattage of 802.3af, to 30 watts, while also facilitating more dynamic power management. Unfortunately, 802at is still not finalized, nor is it expected to be before late 2008, if at all. In addition, 802.3at will require expensive upgrades to network switches or use of power injectors to facilitate the additional power being transmitted over the Ethernet lines. Furthermore, installation of 802at may actually void warranties on some network products designed to the 802af specification.Given the advanced capabilities of 802.11n Access Points MIMO, SDM, and multiple antennae it is easy to see that the components may be very power hungry. This is especially true when running in full 3x3 MIMO mode, or when using two radios to support simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz operation. Until recently, nonpower optimized releases of 802.11n chips were unable to function in 3x3 MIMO using conventional 802.3af PoE. They need to operate off a wall plug, or step down to 2x2 MIMO and use a single radio, which has a dramatic impact on performance. Even more drastic measures like pulling a second Ethernet cable, or using short cable runs, have been promoted by some vendors.

Traffic Forwarding (Centralized, Distributed, Intelligent)

Another important issue to consider when planning for 802.11n is how much traffic your wireless Network is going to generate on your wired LAN. Many enterprise WLAN architectures require APs to Backhaul their traffic to a centralized controller, which then routes it across the network; multiple 802.11n APs can produce a significantly higher load on your LAN than legacy 802.11a/b/g APs. Depending On the size of the WLAN deployment, and how much application data is forwarded to the Centralized controller, significant congestion may occur. The last thing any CIO wants to do is to build Out a Gigabit Ethernet LAN or 10 Gigabit network core just to support their new 802.11n WLAN. The central opportunityand challengeassociated with 11n is higher performance. With APs capable of offering at least five times greater throughput, users are sure to be impressed ... provided your overall architecture can support the additional traffic.