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The Wi-Fi Alliance announced Monday that it has begun certifying products for compliance with the Wi-Fi Direct standard, aimed at enabling router-free instant networking among Wi-Fi enabled devices (a la Bluetooth). Technically, Wi-Fi Direct does not dispense with access points, but merely relies on a software-based alternative, called Soft AP, allowing any Direct-enabled device to act as an access point.
A Wi-Fi Direct connection is not only way more uncomplicated than traditional peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connections (ad hoc), but it is also much more secure. It is being tipped by many to be Bluetooth’s replacement -- and not without good reason. Bluetooth simply can’t match Wi-Fi Direct in terms of range and speed.
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Eoraptor
October 26, 2010 at 4:19am
Wel, it's nice that it's backwards compatible; but I guess I have two concerns.
1.) what happenes with smartphones? the antenna for Wifi is markedly larger than bluetooth, and of course, the bazillions of cellular devices that already are heavily reliant on bluetooth tech (phones, cars, headsets, et all) are not just going to go away, so dueling standards... probably for several years. is that really what we need?
2.) in a world already choked with 802.11<em>x</em> radio noise and a BUNCH of consumer and commercial routers that can only use the 2.4 spectrum and not the 5.0, is this really a solution at all to device connectivity? if you're using a WifiD device and go walking through a conference or a workplace full of these things, what's to say that sheer traffic spatter won't kick your device?
or worse, if these things do connection sharing how secure can they be? each time you add adhoc device to the chain, it's another portal someone might use to backdoor in. every security protocol so far has been cracked, either through social engineering or brute force, I hold no better hopes for a newer one.
jlh304
October 26, 2010 at 5:29am
1) Most spartphones have both antenna already, but if they could drop one that should help lower costs.
2) bluetooth uses the same 2.4 band as wifi so if we can get rid of bluetooth that would help clean up the spectrum.
I don't have a problem with bluetooth, but if it all goes to one standard it would help (like people are starting to put both bluetooth and wifi in computers). Just have to see how it all comes down. I think bluetooth is pretty imbedded in the mobile phone/car area. This is probably going to try and push bluetooth out of computers.
