5 GHz goes the distance for home networkng

Today, there are a number of basic networking technologies that can support data-centric home networking, including 802.11b, HomeRF, and Bluetooth. As with most new markets and technologies, what users want their home network to do is rapidly changing and evolving. Today's early-adopters want more from their home networks than just sharing PC peripherals; they want to be able to send their digital entertainment content (digital pictures, MP3 audio, and DV-based video) throughout their homes. As this "early-adopter market" rapidly changes into a mass market, today's home network must evolve to where it supports not only TCP/IP-based data, but also audio and video data that require QoS. This evolution will require changes in the architecture and implementation of wireless networks. Air5 is a solution for handling the demands of wireless home networking. Based on the lEEE802.11a PHY-layer specification, it includes enhancements for delivering range and throughput levels. Air5 also delivers triple-DES security and guaranteed QoS performance through its TDMA-based synchronous MAC. There are over 40 companies developing 5-GHz based networking technologies today, so this will be a highly competitive technology evolution.