Waiting for Draft 2.0 updates

Photo of author

Tim Higgins

In some cases, manufacturers are seeking additional certifications, such as Vista/WHQL and Intel Centrino, which is taking additional time. Since manufacturers prefer to minimize releases of new firmware and drivers due to the testing and support issues they bring, companies are waiting until all certifications are complete before posting the software for download. And even when new drivers and firmware are available, it will take a few months until updated and Draft 2.0 compliant products make it into the retail channels.

Since it is our policy to test products only with publicly-released drivers and firmware, this delay is why you haven’t seen more reviews of draft 11n products on SmallNetBuilder. We have had products from Linksys and D-Link sitting in the lab ready to be tested for almost a month now, waiting for Draft 2.0 firmware and drivers to be released.

Related posts

Looking for a few good Bloggers

SmallNetBuilder is fortunate to have a talented and faithful audience. Our best contributors have always come from our readers, and I'm always looking to tap that vast wealth of experience.

But good people also tend to be busy people who don't have the hours that it takes to research and prepare they kind of in-depth articles and reviews that we do. On the other hand, you do have the time to visit SmallNetBuilder regularly and I'd like to have fresh stuff for you to read each time you visit.

The Gotcha in Draft 11n Wi-Fi Certification

My previous post describing the D-Link DIR-655 / DWA-652's failure to switch from 40 MHz to 20 MHz channel mode when encountering a legacy WLAN, might be counter to what D-Link says is the expected behavior. But I have found that it is neither a violation of IEEE Draft 2.0 nor the Alliance's Draft 2.0 11n Certification.

Since that post, I've exchanged emails with D-Link and spoken with both Atheros and the Wi-Fi Alliance to try to find out how the D-Link products could not be performing as D-Link had described, yet receive Wi-Fi Draft 2.0 11n Certification.

Adding User Ratings and Comments

If we add it, will you use it?