Don't jump the WiFi gun

The successor to the 802.11g wireless networking standard won't be finalized for almost two years, but the Wi-Fi Alliance isn't taking any chances. It's message: Any vendor claiming to use next-generation 802.11n technology may be stripped of its Wi-Fi certification if the claim is made before the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers signs off on the new standard.

The 802.11g standard superceded 802.11a and 802.11b, allowing for wireless data transmission rates of 54Mbps. The forthcoming 802.11n standard will roughly double that speed.

The Wi-Fi Alliance, a non-profit industry group established to standardize and certify wireless networking products, is trying to head off a repeat of the 802.11g rollout in June 2003, when wireless vendors began shipping so-called 802.11g products about six months before the IEEE finalized the specification.