Just under the wire for 2002, Linksys and Buffalo Technologies have each rolled out some of the very first wireless hardware to use 802.11g, the faster (54 mbps) version of WiFi that operates at 2.4Ghz and thus is backwards compatible with its slower cousin, 802.11b. Interestingly enough, these wireless access points and cards only adhere to the draft standards for 802.11g – the set standards won’t be ratified until sometime in early or mid-2003 – so it’s possible any 802.11g equipment you buy now won’t be interoperable with gear that comes out six months from now that does adhere to the ratified standards. Fortunately Buffalo has already offered to replace any equipment that doesn’t work should the standards change significantly.
