Go Faster WLAN 802.11n

Abstract—The 802.11n protocol is an enhancement from the ten year older protocols 802.11b and 802.11g. The major change is the drastic increase in throughput- from 54 MBps to up to 600 MBps, depending on what optional parts of the protocol are used. This paper is the outcome of a project made to determine and analyze the parts of the 802.11n protocol that is responsible for the speed increase. The first part of the paper contains a litterature study and provides background information about 802.11n as well as comparisons to previous protocols. The second part contains the setup and results of various tests using a regular access point in the 2.4 GHz band intended for domestic use. The tests are made by transfering files from one computer to another using the access point. The tests were able to get results for the increase of using a Short Guard Interval (SGI) which proved to be 5 % on average and 11 % maximum. Testing double channels of 40 MHz failed due to nearby disturbance of a legacy WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) which supports the conclusion that using 40 MHz channels in the 2.4 GHz is not recommended. I