802.11n: A Survival Guide

Part III. Using 802.11n to Build a Network

One of my first laptops came with built-in Ethernet connectivity. I remember the shift in the vendor’s literature from “you can use a parallel port adapter” to “this model now features a built-in Ethernet port.” It wasn’t a “real” Ethernet port, and the computer required an external adapter. Toting that laptop made me stand out because in the pre-PC Card days, hooking a portable computer up to an Ethernet port was just weird.

It is with some level of nostalgia that I look back on the heyday of Ethernet, since Ethernet ports seem only slightly more useful than an RS-232 port these days. Back in January 2008, the original MacBook Air launched. At the time, I remember thinking about how 802.11n didn’t seem quite mature enough to leave off an Ethernet port — and I even worked at a wireless infrastructure vendor at the time!

That’s not a question now, and the 8-pin RJ-45 connector is fairly chunky. With laptop case space at a premium, the preference of users for wireless LANs means that the Ethernet port can be eliminated without too much fuss. I’ve now used my latest computer for almost two years, and I can’t remember if I’ve ever used the Ethernet port. On the occasions when I speak at universities, I often ask students about Ethernet, and it is not uncommon to be speaking to an audience where a majority of people haven’t ever had to use a wired Ethernet port. There are a few specialized cases where the throughput of gigabit Ethernet is needed, ...