Is 802.11 ultimately unfit for the home?

Last Wednesday Agere Systems announced the Orinoco AP-200, a small-office version of its enterprise-class 802.11b access point. At $199 (the estimated street price is $160), the AP-200 mix of power and features could shake up a market dominated by Linksys, Dlink and NetGear.

Available in mid April, the AP-200 includes two 10/100 Ethernet ports, a 150-MHz processor, 4M bytes of Flash RAM and 16M bytes of SDRAM. (In contrast, others typically offer a 55-MHz processor, 1M byte of Flash and 2M bytes of RAM). The configuration means the box can handle multiple VPN sessions and allows Agere to remotely upgrade the device to the upcoming 802.11i security standard (expected by September), and offer new features via free software downloads, says Orinoco product manager Rob Janesen.

The product includes remote management via the Web, telnet, SNMP and TFTP, so network administrators can configure and maintain AP-200 without visiting the teleworker's home. Security is 64- or 128-bit, and includes Agere's WEPplus, an algorithm that avoids the use of "weak keys," those proven susceptible to attack. New small business features include roaming, so you can add additional access points and move between them. While you can connect access points via Ethernet cabling, you can also connect them wirelessly. A new load-balancing feature divides network traffic between them.

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Other new features address interference problems caused by microwave ovens and 2.4-GHz cordless phones. Dynamic fragmentation technology chops off the packets of the data transmission and fits them into the gaps the microwave leaves open between bursts of energy. Dynamic cordless phone avoidance allows the AP-200 to scan the frequencies for a cordless phone transmission and select a free channel. Similarly, dynamic channel selection lets the AP-200 "listen to the air" before it picks a channel on which to transmit data.

But aren't these enhancements an acknowledgement that 802.11b has big problems handling interference? Agere admits its had some customer complaints - especially from users who put their 2.4-GHz phones next to their computers. (Uh, where else would you put it?) And interference has been cited as a possible cause for some of the problems Linksys users have been having with their wireless routers. While we will conduct our own interference tests in the coming months, if you've had any problems and use a 2.4-GHz device, please send me a note about it.

In all fairness, for years, HomeRF proponents have told anyone who would listen that 802.11 is unfit for the home, and that HomeRF was built for it. If you recall, HomeRF is based on frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology, which means the access point and the client hop between frequencies each time they transfer a piece of data. When interference corrupts the signal, the devices simply hop away from the interference to a free frequency. This scheme makes the transmission more secure, too.

But what about interoperability? If wide industry support and interoperable products are the strong suit of 802.11b, I can't help but note that many of the cool features Agere built into the AP-200 are proprietary, requiring you to use the Orinoco adapters in all your PCs to get the benefit. (Agere claims about half the adapters, radios and built-in radio modules in wireless notebooks are Orinoco.)

That's not to say I'm not a big fan of WiFi and the 802.11x specifications. But it is getting confusing out there with 802.11a, 802.11g joining 802.11b and with industry watchers unsure which will prevail and where. While some like Agere's Janesen predict 802.11a will take hold in the enterprise and 802.11g in the small office, others suggest the costly 802.11a will die off in favor of the cheaper 802.11g in the enterprise and smaller office.

Will interference problems only worsen down the road as increasing numbers of 2.4-GHz phones, Bluetooth devices, 802.11x gear flood the market - and make 802.11x ultimately unpredictable for home use? Could it be wise in some situations to consider HomeRF, especially now that Version 2.0 finally gets comparable 10M bit/sec speeds? Proxim offers a Symphony combined access point and router that costs $199 list, and USB and PC Card adapters cost about $80. HomeRF proponents say you can use 802.11 and HomeRF adapters in the same notebook, so you can shuttle between an 802.11x network in the office and HomeRF network at home. Something to think about, I guess.

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Toni Kistner is managing editor of Net.Worker. Contact her at tkistner@nww.com.

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