One year ago this week, Microsoft introduced its first-ever broadband networking products, a suite of hardware that includes wired and wireless networking adapters and base stations. The wireless products are based on 802.11b (Wi-Fi), still the most popular wireless technology available, with Wi-Fi access points now springing up everywhere from airports and coffee shops to shopping malls, restaurants, and even entire city blocks. 802.11b Wi-Fi has a huge weakness, however: Despite reported bandwidth of 11 Mbps, most 802.11b devices struggle along at 4-5 Mbps, fine for email, Web browsing, digital music streaming, and small amounts of file sharing, but inadequate for streaming video, fast action gaming, and heavy-duty file sharing. Since then, the IEEE standards body has ratified the standard for 802.11g Wi-Fi (sometimes called Wireless-G), a faster wireless specification that offers throughput up to 54 Mbps (though true 22-25 Mbps speeds are more typical). At this level of performance, wireless suddenly becomes viable for virtually any home networking need, including the fast-paced, low-latency gaming requirements of Xbox owners. Embracing this faster wireless networking standard, Microsoft this week released its second generation broadband networking products, which include Wireless-G products. Let's take a look.
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