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Code in OS X 10.8.4 Suggests Future Macs Will Offer 802.11ac Gigabit Wi-Fi Support
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This is what most people don't understand or think of. If we are talking Internet, 802.11b would probably suffice for the majority of the world... I, for one, am looking forward to wifi being a viable file transfer method. Of course, files are growing with speeds too!
Does anyone here have a connection faster than 300mbps?
I find it novell when people make comments like this...
Obviously very few outside Kansas City have home broadband connections above 300Mbps. There is however a HUGE population of folks that now have NAS, Media Centers, Time Capsules, and multi-computer homes and offices where this is a HUGE benefit.
I just moved and while I ran gigabit ethernet throughout most of the old house I wasn't looking forward to doing that again. 11ac will mitigate that need until 10Gbit ethernet comes the the consumer market which I expect is still 3-5 years away.
Further this new article is great for me. I was about to by an rMBP a few months ago but decided to hold of specifically to wait for built in 11ac. Here's hoping that comes in October...
And anyone can have it for as low as $50/month? And any mere mortals could have it for home internet?
I'm in!! ...
Remember, this AC iteration has not been ratified, and so far the specifications are only up to Draft 5.0, will full ratification not till about 2015 - "IEEE 802.11ac is a wireless computer networking standard of 802.11, currently under development (Draft 5.0), providing high-throughput wireless local area networks on the 5 GHz band. Standard finalisation is in late 2012, with final 802.11 Working Group approval in early 2014. According to a study, devices with the 802.11ac specification are expected to be common by 2015 with an estimated one billion spread around the world"
Therefore I would not be rushing out to buy AC hardware when the specification has not been ratified. Remember, 802.11n took 7 years to be ratified and many customers got peeved because they bought draft hardware which was not compatible with future versions. I thought we all would have learnt from this by now. Therefore, I will hold off until full ratification.
Therefore I would not be rushing out to buy AC hardware when the specification has not been ratified. Remember, 802.11n took 7 years to be ratified and many customers got peeved because they bought draft hardware which was not compatible with future versions. I thought we all would have learnt from this by now. Therefore, I will hold off until full ratification.
beamforming techniques would increase signal strength and range
Although speed increase with the new 802.11ac is the feature most focused on, for me the most practical will be standardized beamforming techniques used to improve transmission over range. Vanilla 802.11n sends out signals in all directions. 802.11ac would be able direct/focus the energy towards the connected device, resulting in better signal strength and range.
I'm still running a 802.11g network, on a WiFi base station from 2001. Apple standardizing new hardware would make this an opportune time to start switching over to 802.11ac.
Cheers.
Although speed increase with the new 802.11ac is the feature most focused on, for me the most practical will be standardized beamforming techniques used to improve transmission over range. Vanilla 802.11n sends out signals in all directions. 802.11ac would be able direct/focus the energy towards the connected device, resulting in better signal strength and range.
I'm still running a 802.11g network, on a WiFi base station from 2001. Apple standardizing new hardware would make this an opportune time to start switching over to 802.11ac.
Cheers.
Do you know the difference between a Wan and a Lan? Lan by definition means
"Local". He's talking about local tranfers.
Will be good to keep track and follow so we're all educated consumers of this new tech. When you choose to purchase depends on many factors, but never hurts to know more.
An overview of Apple and the 802.11 family of Airport/WiFi technologies is the AppleInsider article from January 2012:
Apple working to adopt 802.11ac 5G Gigabit WiFi this year
Good review of how Apple helped to popularize the use of WiFi. It's over a year old, but Apple history/evolution is still fun to read.
I'm looking to upgrade to a new Haswell/802.11ac/Bluetooth4 Mac; currently on a CoreDuo/802.11g/Bluetooth2 Mac. If Apple switches to 802.11ac this year, then all the new hardware introduced this year will begin to migrate to it. (Macs, iOS devices [including AppleTV], Airport base stations, Time Machine, etc)
Need to start saving. May watch and see which 3rd-party base station will be most compatible with new Apple gear, instead of buying a genuine ABS. My 12 year old 802.11g Linksys still working well.
Cheers
An overview of Apple and the 802.11 family of Airport/WiFi technologies is the AppleInsider article from January 2012:
Apple working to adopt 802.11ac 5G Gigabit WiFi this year
Good review of how Apple helped to popularize the use of WiFi. It's over a year old, but Apple history/evolution is still fun to read.
I'm looking to upgrade to a new Haswell/802.11ac/Bluetooth4 Mac; currently on a CoreDuo/802.11g/Bluetooth2 Mac. If Apple switches to 802.11ac this year, then all the new hardware introduced this year will begin to migrate to it. (Macs, iOS devices [including AppleTV], Airport base stations, Time Machine, etc)
Need to start saving. May watch and see which 3rd-party base station will be most compatible with new Apple gear, instead of buying a genuine ABS. My 12 year old 802.11g Linksys still working well.
Cheers
We've got fibre rolling out gradually in NZ and the biggest obstacle isn't the wireless or LAN but the crappy international capacity that NZ has to the outside world with one player (Southern Cross Cable) got the nation by the balls.
Regarding the wireless technology - it doesn't really matter a hill of beans given that the distance that such technology can coverage is endemic at best - unless you're sitting the same room then I wouldn't expect things to get much better than they do today.
Once one buys a new WAP, which will be pricey at first for sure. And new computers to get the newer standard. Oh and then a few months later once a dozen neighbors are using it too, the interference will shoot it all to hell anyway.
Seriously? These responses are getting so tedious.
No one knew whether or not Apple would include AC wifi in the next refresh. This is an interesting rumour, get over it.
I'm personally looking forward to it simply because it's 100% intended for the less congested 5 GHz band. With 802.11n you're often not sure what kind of performance you're going to get, simply because of the prevalence of 2.4 GHz-configured routers (and many don't even support 802.11n on 5 GHz).Does anyone here have a connection faster than 300mbps?
So this is not just a "450 Mbps on a single antenna!" sticker, but also "I'll always do 5 GHz for you!" one. It's a pretty nice seal of confidence.
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Meh. Obviously they advance support for standards and technology, but are you seriously not interested in hearing when they do so? If not, what's the point of MacRumors? Only want the big news? Maybe you should look for a less niched site.
What's with some of these comments? A short article saying 'apple will do this... Here's the evidence' is exactly what we come to macrumors for isnt it? Why are half the people commenting with 'yawn'?
I'm pleased that Apple are soon to release models with the updated wifi though wonder whether the networking accessories will be updated too. I'm putting off buying a desktop until the updated models are released.
I still find it intriguing that Apple TV wasn't updated with it when they had the silent update earlier in the year. Makes me suspect that something bigger is due for Apple TV this year. It may just be that it will be updated with ac wifi next year but I sense something else is afoot and that the current model is in preparation for something bigger/ more capable. Otherwise, why not wait until June and release the ATV with new wifi and the new processor?
After all, ATV is one of the hardware items for which faster wifi would really help.
I still find it intriguing that Apple TV wasn't updated with it when they had the silent update earlier in the year. Makes me suspect that something bigger is due for Apple TV this year. It may just be that it will be updated with ac wifi next year but I sense something else is afoot and that the current model is in preparation for something bigger/ more capable. Otherwise, why not wait until June and release the ATV with new wifi and the new processor?
After all, ATV is one of the hardware items for which faster wifi would really help.
Although speed increase with the new 802.11ac is the feature most focused on, for me the most practical will be standardized beamforming techniques used to improve transmission over range. Vanilla 802.11n sends out signals in all directions. 802.11ac would be able direct/focus the energy towards the connected device, resulting in better signal strength and range.
I'm still running a 802.11g network, on a WiFi base station from 2001. Apple standardizing new hardware would make this an opportune time to start switching over to 802.11ac.
I wish them all the luck with building in directional antenna's in Apple's (Almost) all aluminium MBP-MacPro's-MacMinis-iMacs.
Don't you think the engineers wouldn't have done that by now if it works well.
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As for ac, hope they already built in support in some of the machine's and do so like last time, a Wifi n enabler.
