Wi-Fi technology has been steadily improving for some years, to the extent that many workers now rely on wireless as their primary data connection to the corporate network. Wi-Fi infrastructure for manufacturing and retail organizations, hotels, universities and schools is already a $1 billion market, with annual growth in double digits. Adoption to date in enterprise offices, also known as ‘carpeted space’ has been slower, as many CIOs and users still regard a Wi-Fi connection as inferior to a wired Ethernet connection. 802.11n is a game changer because when properly deployed it has the potential to displace wired networks to enable a completely all-wireless workplace. It is already accepted that a well-designed Wi-Fi network is more secure than a wired LAN connection. Likewise, millions of Wi-Fi phones are in use worldwide, demonstrating the maturity of multimedia over Wi-Fi technology. The latest Wi-Fi advance, 802.11n has now proven that Wi-Fi can offer higher performance than most wired Ethernet connections: 802.11n access points available before the end of 2007 will support data rates to 300 Mbps, superior to common 100 Mbps Ethernet connections. This 5x increase in speed over older Wi-Fi equipment removes the last serious objection to adoption of the all-wireless workplace concept, where no cables need be run to individual desks and workstations. As a result of 802.11n, the edge of the corporate network will finally become wireless. The primary benefit of 802.11n is its superior radio performance, allowing connection at much higher data rates with saturated coverage that reduces the ‘dark spots’ with poor coverage that are sometimes experienced in legacy Wi-Fi networks. Knowing these significant benefits, should an organization – whether a conference center, a university or an enterprise – immediately move to 802.11n? As with all new technologies in their infancy, there are potential issues that may not be resolved for some time. In the case of 802.11n, these include the risk of changes or legal challenges to the standard, the availability of clients, and the premium charged relative to well-established Wi-Fi options such as 802.11a and 802.11g. This paper describes the technical advances in 802.11n, and predicts the future path of standards and certifications. It investigates the state of available silicon – the fundamental building block for a Wi-Fi radio – and assesses the risk that future developments make today’s products incompatible or obsolete. Beyond its RF capabilities, 802.11n raises potential difficulties in powering access points, and some vendors have used the step increase in performance to justify ‘new’ architectural approaches. These claims are tested, along with a discussion of options when upgrading existing Wi-Fi networks to 802.11n. The reader should use the information here to decide when and how to adopt 802.11n: some organizations will want to move quickly, and many should do so; others may adopt the technology at a more gradual rate that is paced, for example, by the availability of suitable clients. Either way, an 802.11n-based network has tremendous disruptive potential relative to legacy, port-based wired networks, offering organizations the opportunity to build a high-performance, robust wireless network with a long practical service life.   For further information please contact Fast Track Communications.