Tim Higgins
Come to find out that the news item we posted the other day about Netgear releasing 802.11n Draft 2.0 firmware was a bit premature.
The firmware for the WNR854T router, which is based on Marvell silicon, is the only draft 2.0 upgrade posted. The upgrade for the matching WN511T Cardbus card is still in verification. According to Netgear, it won’t be released for “a couple of weeks”.
During my routine check of the Wi-Fi Alliance 802.11n Certified product list, I found that the mythical D-Link DIR-855 Dual-Band Draft 11n router received its 802.11n Draft 2.0 certification back on October 3. Shame on me for not catching this before now.
Today's announcement by Linksys of its "affordable" Range Plus product line (WRT100, WPC100) is an odd one. The product line is described as using "MIMO" technology to provide extended coverage at a price point around $100. But a look at the FCC Test report reveals the real technology used.
While the Wi-Fi Alliance's list of 802.11n Draft 2.0 certified products is growing longer, of course, there is still a catch. A product's appearance in the list doesn't necessarily mean that the products you can buy today are Draft 2.0 compliant. Nor does it mean that you can download firmware and drivers to bring them into compliance, either.
