Wifi Revolution

Meru Networks said that its IEEE (News - Alert) 802.11n wireless LAN has been deployed at the 12^th annual Pop!Tech conference, which is being held this week in Camden, Maine. The solution is providing high-speed wireless Internet access.

 

Meru partnered with New England-based IT solutions provider, Know Technology to install the WLAN. Know Technology has worked with Pop!Tech since 1997, and that the 802.11n capability was a requirement this year for the first time.

 

Meru equipment being deployed at Pop!Tech includes AP320 wireless access points, which have two 802.11a/b/g/n radios, connected to Meru MC3000 controllers. These controllers provide centralized intelligent RF management and security for the wireless LAN.

 

Moreover, like all Meru access points, the AP320s at Pop!Tech are set to broadcast on a single channel span throughout the venue that creates a virtual cell. This single-channel approach, according to Meru, minimizes the potential for co-channel interference.

 

Jason Rzepka, director at Pop!Tech communications, said that reliable, high-speed wireless Internet access is a must for Pop!Tech participants.

 

“You have 600 to 700 wired individuals in a relatively small space, accessing the Internet, streaming video and live blogging,” explained Rzepka.

 

“It's critical that we're able to satisfy the demands of our tech-savvy audience and deliver the best possible experience,” he added.

 

The Meru WLAN delivers 300-megabit-per-second Internet access using the new 802.11n interim Wi-Fi standard, enabling access from Internet from anywhere in the conference venue. The company said that the solution will offer speeds up to “five times faster” than legacy 802.11a/b/g wireless networks.

 

Hand stated that his company selected Meru to avoid past conferences' user problems with oversubscribed wireless access points and slow performance. “This year we're expecting a higher density of user-carried wireless devices than ever before,” he said.

 

Hand also said that Meru's virtual-cell architecture provides better coverage and capacity, and eliminates the interference that laptops and other wireless devices can run into when trying to get onto the network.

 

“802.11n is becoming the norm at industry events such as Pop!Tech, which typically are characterized by a huge range of client device types and users who really push the bandwidth envelope,” said Rachna Ahlawat, vice president of strategic marketing at Meru.

 

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