Not long ago, the official IEEE 802.11n wireless standard approved is not an end, but Wi-Fi wave of innovation, a new starting point. In the next 3 to 5 years, Wi-Fi experience will be completely different from today.
11n the huge increase in performance – 300Mbps data transfer rate and close to the throughput of 100M to 150Mbps – will make it wider than ever before to lay the wireless work-life basis. You can be portrayed as the number of rapidly growing, with wireless connectivity AP Islands territory, it will rapidly expanding, with mesh connected cluster approach, and through a more intelligent Wi-Fi clients to work more closely inter – operation. Here, our main concern about possible future changes in the eight Wi-Fi technology, performance will become better, signal higher quality, more reliable connectivity, bandwidth is more optimized for longer battery life, the network more secure.
1. Wider broadband
Although the IEEE has the 802.11 standard to achieve gigabit and multi-gigabit data transfer rate launched two projects, but has not yet drawn up a draft.
However, 11n standard has been to make high data rate possible, and can be applied to different functions and equipment. Today, all 11n RF support two spatial data streams, can use the same two or three a combination of antenna transceiver functions, which have emerged in the mobile radio device. For example, Apple’s latest Wi-Fi functionality on the iPod Touch uses a Broadcom radio chip that supports 11n without the use of 11n.
Quickly, more Wi-Fi chips will support three or four data streams, respectively, two different kinds of 450Mbps and 600Mbps data rates. In early 2009, Quantenna Communications demonstrated its 4×4 chipset that can transmit a few road in a residential high-definition television signals.
“Although the number of customer premises equipment not yet able to support four spatial streams, but the appropriate design of the AP but can take advantage of the physical layer data rate of 600Mbps to make high-speed, wireless backbone network possible,” Wi-Fi equipment vendors and co-founder of Ruckus CTO William Kish said.
We can use the 802.11s standard (expected in September 2010 through) to connect these high-end mesh nodes to create a similar Internet, Wi-Fi network, which is redundant, and can bypass the point of failure to choose the route .
2. More robust RF signal
The future there will be more radio-frequency chip 11n optional performance for the client and AP, so that RF signal is more adaptable, continuity and reliability. In other words, will make wireless connections more like a wired connection.
“The new 11n physical layer technology allows Wi-Fi is more robust, given the scope and longer distances with higher data rates within a” chip maker Atheros Communications, Inc. CTO William McFarland said.
These features include: low-density parity check codes, can improve error correction capability; transmit beam forming can be obtained from Wi-Fi client to obtain feedback so that an AP is more focused on the client machine sends radio frequency signals; space-time block code ( STBC) can make use of multiple antennas to improve the signal to better reliability, higher data transfer rates.
“Today, when you moved around with a laptop around a building will be found, the data transfer rate is fluctuated low,” McFarland said. “But with the STBC, connections would have been quite stable.”
3. Wi-Fi Internet of Things
In a number of innovative power management not only makes the Wi-Fi smart phone extended battery life, but also to bring Wi-Fi embedded into a variety of new equipment, and even sensors: for example, medical monitoring equipment, building control systems , real-time location tracking labels and consumer electronics. This allows people to have to continuously monitor and collect data on the ability to take advantage of this ability, based on the user’s identity and location of the users with personalized services.
“Contemporary is not limited distance RF technology which can do Wi-Fi can do things,” wireless consulting expert and the United States “Network World” blog by Craig Mathias wrote.
“Enterprise WLAN infrastructure already in place, this,” Atheros’s McFarland said. “Need to do is to add some low-power sensors only.”
Wi-Fi embedded vendors Summit Data Communications recently announced that the format has various combinations of 802.11a radio devices may allow use of non-crowded 5GHz band. The new start-ups to provide a Gainspan have 11bg Wi-Fi radio with IP software stack, with the standard battery could work for a few years of low-power wireless sensors. The Redpine Signals company also provides a single data stream embedded 11n radio.
4. Safety of raising
The Internet is one of the most harmful effects of Internet users have become victims of threats, these threats include identity theft, DoS attacks, privacy and exposure, spyware, and lack of trust. Mobility may make the situation worse, because Wi-Fi connection allows users to be more exposed to risks that can not be under threat.
Trapeze Networks Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Gast think, IEEE has recently approved an 802.11w standards to protect wireless management frames, to facilitate better radio link. Now, a Wi-Fi client can use AP for the attacker MAC address spoofing attacks, to receive and obey the resulting generated by a “leave the network” message, when 11w standard will be completely cut off network connections.
Aruba Networks is responsible for strategic marketing Michael Tenefoss said that in general, Wi-Fi means of identity-based security, will provide users with more and more secure wireless freedom. In the Wi-Fi network, and user security policy is concerned, while, and switch port has nothing to do. Related to this advantage: Users can at home, the workplace, hotels, offices and public hot spots to move freely between, but will not affect safety, Tenefoss said.
5. With other Wi-Fi Network Joint
If you are a T-Mobile Wi-Fi users, but in another operator’s a Wi-Fi hot spots within the scope of coverage, you’re out of luck. The future of your Wi-Fi devices will be able to query “a strange (ie, other carriers)” service, check if you can use these services, if it can be safely connected to the other operator’s network. Your cell phone user’s identity can also be as you move along to ensure that you can enjoy a variety of Wi-Fi service.
This can be put together with several networks, increasing the capacity of wireless users is a range of activities implemented by 802.11u standard, you can and external networks interworking. The future, individual Wi-Fi operators will do a variety of advertising their services, as well as when you connect to these services subject to the terms of service. Depending on your home network operator of a user’s identity, you can visit another operator of all or part of the services. Of an emergency, you can also use a narrower basis of connections and services. 11u standards to be finally passed in 2010.
6. Self-managed Wi-Fi clients
Wi-Fi vendors have developed many patented products, so that the user devices become more intelligent, you can know that they are connected with which AP. Now, AP is usually marks the Wi-Fi network management limitations, because the client is in a relatively weak radio frequency management vacuum.
If the new standard with Wi-Fi management agreement for the client and AP to increase intelligence capabilities, it can be produced between the two sides many interesting collaboration.
Imagine, your notebook computer’s wireless card or your Wi-Fi VoIP phone can not send and receive radio signals with a power-saving function; or in the sharing of location data, an AP can be a Wi-Fi voice redirected to a optimal neighbors; or AP in a network overload may lead to break failure load can be transferred to the nearby small AP up. For example, Wi-Fi network infrastructure can also be positioned outside the location of the client, and then the data is prohibited or allowed it connected to the network.
Is likely to July 2010 standards adopted by the 802.11v content can dramatically improve a lot of Wi-Fi management. It will increase the counter for the collection of statistical data array to increase the power management to extend battery life, improve the positioning data to support. However, this standard must be both client and AP radio at the same time to achieve.
Wi-Fi Alliance is developing a Wi-Fi multimedia access control specification will also deal with this concept of collaboration on the client. This specification will allow consultations between the wireless network, management, streaming media session, even in the same AP on the request for high-definition video services, and not returning to block the Wi-Fi voice user connections. Wi-Fi Alliance seal of approval assessment of a Wi-Fi network management specification, which we borrowed from a number of relevant IEEE standards and some additional management feature set.
7. With a more intelligent RF management to improve the mobility of
The lack of coordination can be said that afflict RF management, because the AP and client generally know very little about each other’s situation or the wireless neighbor’s situation, and therefore can not understand their own RF environment. Such unilateral makes RF optimization and management has become very difficult.
For example, when a Wi-Fi phone to leave a particular AP, it will enter a random search for another AP process. However, if the client can ask their AP, “your neighbor has a who, what AP is my next step to connect the best choice?” Then, the client and the network will be able to collaborate better. At the same time, Wi-FI access points will also be able to “see” the RF environment for the client to confirm a weak signal or bad coverage, and then take steps to implement the optimization of the connection.
IEEE 802.11k radio resource management standards, published last year, is to solve this problem, but the Wi-Fi vendors have implemented to solve this problem a series of patented products. They are to expand their Wi-Fi client for the control and increase their intelligence, and thus together with the Wi-Fi access point infrastructure requests, behavior and activities. Issued by Aruba’s Adaptive Radio Management 2.0 technology is an example.
At the same time, Wi-Fi Alliance is also taking advantage of some of the features 11k, the drafting of a Voice Enterprise certification standards. The purpose is to optimize the large-scale, enterprise-class Wi-Fi voice call quality in the environment.
8. Personal Area Wi-Fi
Today, the “your” Wi-Fi is now a connection point between the AP, but in the future, Wi-Fi can enter any personal device, so that it can be directly connected with other clients. For example, Ozmo Devices on the production of a low-power chip that allows external devices directly through the Wi-Fi connected to a laptop.
Not long ago, Wi-Fi Alliance recently announced Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) project will allow the notebook’s Wi-Fi card to bypass the AP, direct and wireless printers, cameras, projectors, plasma displays, or sensors connected. As an industry specifications, WFD will be introduced by the new firmware to achieve an agreement, without changing the hardware what to do.
At the same time, through the 802.11z standard (expected in July 2010 to complete), Wi-Fi AP will also make P2P connections possible. In this configuration, the client device can request from an AP connected directly to another client device near the “permission”, but do not have to through this AP. However, if your client is still connected with the AP, it would in the security and management services, a complete protection.
Technology Trends, Wi-Fi