802.11n: A Survival Guide

Appendix A. Afterword

I have often described my work in the 802.11 working group as the best job I ever had, even though it was a part-time volunteer position that came without pay. As a regular attendee, I had a ringside seat for much of the 802.11n standardization effort, culminating in a vote in the summer of 2009 to approve the task group’s final draft. Procedurally, it was a vote like many others I attended, but there was an electricity in the room. After years of exertions to meet the yearning of users for more speed, we were delivering a long-awaited standard. Even though the outcome of that final vote was not in doubt, I went to that meeting in part so that I could say “I was there.” As it turns out, I do have an interesting story to tell because the final vote was 53 in favor and one against proceeding, and many people want to understand why there was one no vote.

When I started with wireless LANs, it would have been unthinkable to use them as the primary method of connecting to a network. By delivering 802.11n, some of the smartest people I know have made it unthinkable not to do so. For most practical purposes, wireless networks are now on par with Ethernet. While wireless networks may seem like the obvious choice, few have a firsthand appreciation for technical and intellectual firepower trained within the 802.11 working group that makes it possible.

Even with speeds now in the hundreds of megabits per second with 802.11n, the 802.11 working group continues to drive speeds ...