5:30 -- The Wi-Fi Alliance says that it will start interoperability testing on so-called "pre-n" wireless LAN devices in June. It will likely be good news for users over time, hopefully ensuring that this new crop of faster WiFi boxes will all work together better. (See Wi-Fi Alliance Certifies 802.11n.)

Still, doesn't it seem like shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted?

Every vendor and his dog has a box that they already happily refer to as "802.11n." You almost never see vendors bothering with the "draft" or "pre-n" tag in their marketing. I'm sure if we surveyed a bunch of users a good number would say that 802.11n is already available. In fact, the standard itself is unlikely to be ratified before the fall of this year.

Makes you wonder what the next major round of 802.11 upgrades at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (IEEE) will be like. Punchy, I'm guessing.

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Unstrung