天线的多样性引发担忧，Wi-Fi联盟研究各种11n方案的兼容性问题

Wi-Fi的支持者不知道消费者是否将被业已推出的各种各样的最新802.11n版本的技术实现方案所混淆。迄今为止，答案是没有人知道。

Atheros Communications公司在10月27日推出的芯片支持面向个人电脑、路由器以及机顶盒的11n的单数据流版本。与此同时，这家初创公司的采用3-4付天线的版本的样品支持更长的距离，比大多数公司采用的双天线版本方案具有更大的吞吐量。

“至于兼容性，我们不希望出现任何问题，但是，我们所关注的是消费者传输消息的各个方面，” 领导该技术的Wi-Fi联盟(WFA)的执行总监Edgar Figueroa表示。

WFA建立了针对11n的共同市场组以及一个额特别小组，讨论11n芯片迅速出现的多样性所引起的相关问题。他们正考虑是否根据产品对多输入、多输出天线(MIMO)选项的使用情况设立一种可以区分11n产品的标志。

“无论是否需要，它是我们试图确定的事情。我们可能最终找不到解决方案，”Figueroa。

他可能在MIMO工作时不安置时间帧。“在我们的处理中非常民主，而这使得事情有时难以预测，”他说道。

此外，WFA星期二宣布它至今为止已经认证了总数5000台Wi-Fi产品。

“过去的几千件产品花了我们不到一年的时间，”Figueroa表示，“这是我们在认证方面最积极的一年，”他补充说。

该小组还在研究Wi-Fi链接的安全设置的简化过程的方法。一种方法涉及把USB设备插入两套系统之中，以便于在它们之间创建安全的Wi-Fi链接。该技术最早要在明年1月举行的消费电子展上才可能发布。

“大量的消费应用完全就是不需要网络那种复杂度的点对点连接，”他说道。

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Wi-Fi Alliance studies possible 11n confusion

Diversity of antenna options raises concerns

Proponents of Wi-Fi are wondering whether consumers will be confused by the rollout of a wide variety of implementations of the latest 802.11n version of the technology. So far the answer is, no one knows.

Atheros Communications rolled out chips supporting a single-stream version of 11n for PCs, routers and set-top boxes on Monday (Oct 27). Meanwhile, startups are sampling versions using three or four antennas to support longer distances or greater throughput than the dual-antenna versions from most companies.

"We don't expect any issues as far as compatibility, but what we are looking at is the consumer messaging aspects," said Edgar Figueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA), the ad hoc group that shepherds the technology.

The WFA has both a general marketing group and one specific to 11n now discussing the implications of the relatively rapid diversity of 11n chips hitting the market. They are considering whether to set up logos that would differentiate 11n products based on their use of multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) antenna options.

"Whether this is needed or not is what we are trying to determine. We may wind up doing nothing," said Figueroa.

He could put no timeframe on the MIMO work. "We are very democratic in our process, and that makes things sometimes difficult to predict," he said.

Separately, the WFA announced Tuesday it has certified a total of 5,000 Wi-Fi products to date.

"The past thousand products took us less than a year," said Figueroa. "This is our most active year ever in terms of certifications," he added.

The group is also studying ways to simplify the process of setting up secure Wi-Fi connections. One approach involves plugging a USB device into two systems to create a secure Wi-Fi link between them. The technology may be available for release as early as the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

"A lot of consumer apps are simple point-to-point connections that don't require the complexity of a network," he said.