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The emergence of wireless technology and its adoption all over the world has revolutionised computing and communications. It has freed many small offices from the tangle of wires, and now that many homes have more than one computer, it provides an easy way of linking them all up to the internet.

Wireless networks have also become increasingly easy to set up, so even a fairly inexperienced computer user can do it. Just in case we were getting a little complacent, though, not everything about wireless networking is getting simpler. Choosing the right equipment to buy is becoming more and more complicated, and this situation will only get worse throughout the rest of the year.

That's because the next wireless standard, 802.11n, is on the horizon and is due to be ratified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2008. The problem is that the n standard has been 'on the horizon' for a few years now, and meanwhile the market has filled with alternatives based on earlier drafts of the standard. These, coupled with older devices that are still around, make for a confusion of standards that is sure to bewilder users who just want to set up a simple network.

Don't worry, though, because we're here to help you get to grips with Draft-N, MIMO, Draft 2.0 and all the other technical terms you need to know before you can navigate the wireless minefield. We'll also show you what might be involved if you want to upgrade any Draft 2.0-based wireless networking equipment when the n standard is finally ratified next year.

Standard confusion<

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In the 'Alphabet soup' section we look at the various incarnations of 802.11 - as the wireless standard is officially known - that have been made available to the public. These range from 802.11a, b and g to the next standard, n. The 802.11b and g standards can work with each other; dual-band products also work with devices that use the 802.11a standard; and n products will work with all previous standards (more on this later). One caveat is that you don't get the benefits of the newer standard when you use your new equipment on a network that uses an older standard.

All those letters are confusing enough, but these are just the official standards. While we've been waiting for 802.11n a number of unofficial fillers have entered the market. This is because, while the 802.11n standard has yet to be finalised, hardware manufacturers have produced devices that comply with the standard as it evolves. It's little wonder that the world of wireless networking is such a muddle.

Standardisation is a good thing, especially in the world of wireless networking. Without it, you'd have to equip your computers with wireless networking adaptors made by the same company that manufactured your wireless router. When all products adhere to the same standards, you don't have to worry about that. You can happily connect your laptop, PC and wireless router without having to check who made what. Standardisation even increases the likelihood that today's technology will be compatible with that of the future, at least for a while, as each new standard is designed so that it also works with its predecessor.

After the first draft of the n standard appeared, a number of products arrived on the market. However, there was no certification process for this, and with no-one overseeing interoperability, there's no guarantee that so-called Draft-N devices from one manufacturer will work with those from another. That changes with products based on the second draft of the n standard. To get a Draft 2.0 badge from the WiFi Alliance, manufacturers have to ensure their products will work with other Draft 2.0 devices.