[mdamda]

I realize that this could also be in the laptop section but then again, it's more about networking anyway.

So I'm in the market for a laptop and most of these laptop makers are advertising 802.11n wifi support but is classified under DRAFT in the fine print.

What gives?

Will these "draft" specifications be fully utilized when the finalized 802.11n specs and hardware are out anyway? Or will those routers/base points just use the 802.11b/g signal anyway?

Just both curious and skeptical.

Any info will be appreciated.

Googling doesn't seem to yield any sufficient answer. :/

[jstutman]

as it stands now, draft is expected to be finalized.

This being said "draft" routers should/will be fully N compatible if and when N gets finalized

[mdamda]

So all these Draft 2.0 devices currently have the hardware capabilities to run on the finalized 802.11n hardware in the future?

seems interesting.

[TempliNocturnus]

Even if they don't, you can still swap it out with a N final card; laptop wireless NICs are removable.

[jstutman]

Originally Posted by mdamda

So all these Draft 2.0 devices currently have the hardware capabilities to run on the finalized 802.11n hardware in the future?

seems interesting.

They have to say Draft N cause the specifics can change at any moment until it is finalized....if I am not mistaken...the Draft N part has since been changed to another terminology....oh yes lol "Draft 2.0" lol

[ou_phidelt]

As others have said it is just covers their butts. If they would happen to change something in the spec before its finalized consumers could come back on the manufactures, putting draft on there covers them from that. That being said, if its 2.0 you should be fine. Mine has an Intel 5100 and I have been very satisfied with it.

[Madwand]

Originally Posted by mdamda

Will these "draft" specifications be fully utilized when the finalized 802.11n specs and hardware are out anyway? Or will those routers/base points just use the 802.11b/g signal anyway?

What's the point? It can give you higher throughput and range right now, instead of waiting indefinitely for the standard to be finalized. Ratification has already been delayed a couple of times, and there's no certainty that it'll be finished this year or the next.

When the standard is finalized, it's not as if draft-n will just stop working. All of your existing draft-n gear will work just as well as it did before the standard was finalized, and will be compatible with other draft-n gear in the same way. There's also a pretty good chance that vendors will not do the stupid thing and make the standard products incompatible with their draft-n products. And besides all that, draft-n products run standard-g just fine.

So draft-n products are compatible with standard-g, other draft-n products, and will probably be compatible with final standard-n products for some. In this view, standard-g has no advantage. It will never be directly compatible with standard-n; only the downgraded standard-g compatibility mode.