Anyone comment on new Dlink 802.11a equipment?

[kylef]

I saw that Dlink has a new set of equipment based on the new 802.11a standard. They call it "AirPro" and it is priced very competitively with 802.11b equipment.

You can buy them already at NecX Direct for about $140 for the PC Card and $320 for the access point.

Does anyone know if they work, or do they have typical first-generation product problems?

 

[JackMDS]

I am not going to buy this stuff, until there is choices. I.e. at least 5 or more manufactures are actually getting it out of the door.

However, I can share with you this info:

The new Wireless equipment that is coming out right now is:

802.11a. Uses the 5G transmission band, and it is capable to provide max, bandwidth of 54 Mb/sec.

Problems with the 802.11a. 5GHz does not penetrate walls as well as 2.4GHz, so what is gained with the Bandwidth is lost in obstacles decay. Since it is using 5GHz, there is compatibility problem with the current WIFI (2.4GHz).

It is however less affected by the noise generated by other appliances on the 2.4GHz band.

The new proposed standard 802.11g, which is now extended to 54 Mb/sec., will use 2.45Ghz, and will be compatible with the current installations.

It is probably going to take a while to get the ?g? out.

 

[kylef]

I appreciate the input.

Actually, one of the reasons we were interested in purchasing 802.11a equipment was that it uses the 5GHz band and won't interfere with some of our 2.4 GHz devices (wireless video transmitters and bluetooth sensor nodes). Finding a channel in 802.11b that doesn't interfere with those wireless video transmitters is a royal pain!

Generally when brand new stuff comes out like this there are always problems and a few bad apples. I was just wondering if there were any reviews or links out there that might have tested this equipment in a real environment...

 

[ktwebb]

Not sure if it is a typo or not, but .11g wont just use the 2.45 frequency exclusively, it will use the 2.4Ghz band spectrum though, like 802.11b. Jacks right that 802.11a RF devices at comparable power output ratios to 802.11b will have smaller cell sizes. Remains to be seen if major vendors will use higher power than most of there cheaper SOHO 802.11b cousins will, 30 mW. The speed will drop significantly with each distance mark and/or impedendce, walls, floors etc.... 802.11a doesnt really have compatibility "problems", its just not compatible at all. It's really a non-issue. They dont jive. Frequency spectrum is too far apart. You can still interlace the devices, but the client card in the individual machine will be standard specific, .11b or .11a. 802.11A hardware wont be affected at all by 2.4 Ghz devices, like phones or microwaves. That's also a non-issue with the new .11a standard. IN turbo mode the .11a standard is advertised at 72 Mb. My testing with Proxim, one of the first manufacturers to come out with .11a hardware, was around 40 Mb in turbo mode. Can't speak to the Dlink equipment. DOn't expect it would be enormously different, but thats just a guess. You could wait on .11g if you have legacy .11b devices but you will be waiting awhile.

 

[JackMDS]

ktwebb is right, I did not write it clearly, it should be written that ?the frequency band of 802.11g is increased to 2.45MHz?

Thus far, I can not find any review of the 802.11a.

There is a problem; most of solid reviews concerning Network Hardware use to come from Practicallynetworked.com performed by Mr. Tim Higgins. Tim left Pravticallynetwork.com few months ago, and since then there is a big void in new Network reviews.