Rise of a Wireless Standard
IEEE 802.11g

Not many people realize there has been an interesting tug-of-war between interested parties concerning which wireless technology would dominate.

Wireless capability is an accepted norm in laptop computers, tablet PC's, as well as standard home and office computers. Access points, or hot spots, are now appearing or are planned for hotels, motels, airports, restaurants, and cafes in major metropolitan areas everywhere. This trend will only increase as more and more hot spots are located at locations worldwide.

Until recently, there were two wireless standards recognized and in use, 802.11a and 802.11b. The business-oriented 802.11a standard provides fast connections at an average speed of 20 megabits per second compared to 802.11b's slower average of 6 megabits per second. Another serious problem is that the two standards are not compatible. This means an 802.11b-compliant notebook can't tap into an 802.11a hot spot and vice versa. These two points are the source of the trouble. Many businesses want the higher speed of 802.11a, and have been disappointed that Intel had doggishly insisted on the use of their slower and incompatible 802.11b.

Intel, always willing to use a little muscle, has been very rambunctious and quite eager to twist arms to get everyone else to agree to use their creation, 802.11b. Going beyond touting its virtues, they tried to force popularity by equipping their computer line with only the 802.11b standard. This was an obvious attempt by Intel to force hotels and other places to select 802.11b as the standard in their establishments. Intel assumed the world would follow its lead, whether it wanted to or not.

But the IEEE had other plans. Unhappy with the limitations of 802.11a and 802.11b, the IEEE approved a new standard, 802.11g, in May 2003. The new standard delivers the same speed as 802.11a; however it is completely compatible with the 802.11b standard. This means that the new 802.11g standard is should please everyone.

To everyone's surprise, Intel's reaction to the IEEE's approval was to immediately embrace the 802.11g standard. They quickly began the process of adding it their hardware line. There was serious concern that Intel would ignore the new standard and continue to insist that everyone use their 802.11b standard. But, fortunately, this is not the case.

When selecting a computer for purchase, make sure it is fitted with the IEEE 802.11g wireless standard.