A good start is as important in chess as it is in a 100-meter dash. Datacomm Research's Ira Brodsky says it is also important in 802.11n, and this is why they must get 802.11n right from the get-go. Owing to the fact that many companies-- and many diverse companies, at that-- have a stake in the emerging standard, there are many preferences and perspectives being brought to the formulation of the new standard, leading to the failure at last month's Task Group N meeting of any one proposal to garner the 75 percent of votes required for adoption. Three technical flaws have emerged, which are discussed in further detail in Brodsky's article.

It is not very likely that all sides will agree on what is the best solution for these three major technical issues-- remember the reference we made earlier to different preferences and perspectives. Better to find some compromise solution, than leave these problems unaddressed. This may be easier said than done, however, because of an additional problem: the rush to market of several vendors with pre-802.11n gear. Moreover, these vendors promised customers that their gear was close enough to the likely-to-emerge standard that software upgrades would be all that would be needed once the standard is ratified. These vendors will likely oppose any standard which makes their hardware obsolescent, if not obsolete.

For more on the hurdles facing 802.11n
- read Ira Brodsky's Techworld discussion