Cisco looks to improve Wi-Fi with directional technology

16:10 15th January 2009

Cisco Systems users should see a marked improvement in Wi-Fi connections with the company's Aironet 1140, according to a new report published on theregister.co.uk on Tuesday (January 15th).

The networking giant, which has named the new directional technology 'ClientLink', claims that it can increase non-directional throughput for 802.11 a/g legacy devices by as much as 65 per cent.

The Aironet can also reportedly speed up standard 802.11n equipment, while it can be purchased in an eco-pack which offers ten access points with the packaging of one.

However, Ruckus - which has been championing the benefits of putting directional slants on radio since halfway through last year - is not altogether impressed with Cisco's advances.

"Although this is a great step forward for the industry...it was built on a standard chipset, meaning it has no real-time adaptive capabilities and cannot optimise the form or direction of Wi-Fi signals," the company is quoted by the website as saying.

Assuming they do not want to switch to 5GHz, network providers are looking at ways to make the most of the congested 2.4GHz wireless ethernet spectrums currently on offer.

Cisco Systems posted revenue of $39.5 billion last year.