802.11n Wi-Fi standard approved at last

The IEEE has finally approved the 802.11n high-throughput wireless LAN standard.

Finalisation of the wireless networking standard, which is capable of delivering throughput speeds of up to 300Mbps, took exactly seven years from the day it was conceived. The standard has been through a dozen or so draft versions.

According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, the group that tests and certifies wireless products to ensure their interoperability, all existing draft-n wireless products that bear the 'Wi-Fi Certified' logo will work with the final standard.

The 802.11n standard offers much higher speeds than 802.11g, which caps at only 54Mbps. Due to the higher speed, most wireless vendors have been offering draft-n products for the past six years.

According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, most, if not all, draft-n equipment can be upgraded to the final specification via a firmware update. All future wireless networking products will be compatible with today's Wi-Fi Certified products.