802.11n: A Survival Guide

Foreword

Adrian Stephens, January 2012

Communications is changing our life in many ways. Our society is increasingly dependent on wireless communications technologies and the applications they support. In the same way that we can’t understand how the folks who lived in 1800 managed without anesthesia, television, … (insert favorite must-have technology here), our children won’t understand how we managed to grow up without on-the-go email, social networking, … (insert technology x^[1] here).

IEEE 802.11 is a fundamental component of today’s wireless communications technology. We have seen a rapid penetration of this technology into the enterprise (replacing or augmenting wired networks), home (wireless routers) and public spaces (airports, hotels). It is now no longer an optional feature, but an end-user expectation. IEEE 802.11n is the current “must-have” standard for wireless LAN that provides increased throughput and supports new applications and usage models. This book describes the development and operation of the 802.11n communications protocol. It provides background for understanding the impact of various features and settings on network operation and deployment. It is recommended reading for networking professionals and those who are curious as to what goes on under the hood. I have known Matthew Gast through our work together in the IEEE 802.11 working group—he as chair of 802.11REVmb and I as its technical editor. He writes clearly with a minimum of jargon and a maximum of ...