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The Many Faces Of 802.11n: Page 2 of 2

These new features of 802.11n are optional, and most consumer implementations are severely limited for compatibility reasons. Typical consumer networks will use the same few 20 MHz channels in the crowded 2.4 GHz band. Even if both ends of the connection are 802.11n-compatible, they may not both support performance-enhancing features and so might have no real-world performance boost. On the other hand, MIMO access points will reduce the effect of distance on throughput for all clients, regardless of whether they support any 802.11n features.

Disappointed Consumers
Most end users will not currently experience the true capabilities of 802.11n networking. Instead, they will be limited to about the same performance as current 802.11g Wi-Fi networks, which is a shame. It is disappointing that performance enhancements like 5 GHz operation and wide 40 MHz channels are usually disabled by default.

But more troubling is the fact that client-side 802.11n adapters do not necessarily support multiple spatial streams or 5 GHz operation. Many consumers will assume that "Wi-Fi n" is better and faster, and vendors will be happy to hype these higher-priced products. But 2.4 GHz devices cannot deliver on these promises.