Chipsets boost Wi-Fi range by 50 per cent

Broadcom today unveiled two wireless Lan chipsets which it claims allow Wi-Fi users to maintain high speed wireless connections at distances up to 50 per cent greater than previous offerings.

The 54g single-chip 802.11g client silicon and 54g router system-on-a-chip are both based on the firm's BroadRange signal processing technology, which Broadcom said provides the highest receive sensitivity of any 802.11g chipset on the market.

As a wireless client device moves away from an access point or router, it becomes more difficult to receive or 'hear' data transmissions, forcing the system to downshift to lower data rates to maintain error-free communication, according to the company.

By improving the ability to receive transmissions, BroadRange technology aims to allow products based on Broadcom's 54g to stay connected longer at top speeds before stepping back to lower data rates.

Jeff Abramowitz, senior director of marketing at Broadcom's Home and Wireless Networking business unit, said: "BroadRange technology significantly improves Wi-Fi coverage and is a cost-effective way to enhance the Wi-Fi user's experience in the home or office."

Broadcom explained that its Wi-Fi compatible BroadRange technology complies with IEEE 802.11 standards and could be integrated into a wide range of Wi-Fi products, from notebook PCs to routers and mobile phones.

"Broadcom has not only achieved cost-effective integration, but has improved wireless Lan performance in a standards-compliant way," said Bob Wheeler, senior analyst at The Linley Group.

"We recommend standards-based range enhancements over proprietary approaches because they improve the user experience for both new and existing networks."

The 54g single-chip 802.11g is now in production and Broadcom offers the 54g router system-on-a-chip client reference designs in mini PCI and PC card versions, as well as a packaged option with an SDIO interface for embedded designs.