Atheros Communications’ XSPAN 802.11n dual-concurrent 2.4 GHz/5 GHz router and its dual-band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz CardBus adapter have been selected for the Wi-Fi-certified 802.11n draft 2.0 testing program. This program was developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to help ensure baseline performance and interoperability among end products.

To achieve certification, devices must demonstrate interoperability with reference products selected for the test bed. The Wi-Fi Alliance's decision to certify end-user products based on the current 802.11n draft 2.0 specification in advance of the IEEE's final ratification signals the stability of the draft.

"Having actively driven the development of the 802.11n specification since 2003, Atheros is very pleased that the industry is now ensuring cross-vendor product performance and interoperability through certification,” said Todd Antes, vice president of marketing for Atheros. "By removing barriers which may have previously discouraged purchase of 802.11n products, 11n is no longer next, it's now.”