6. Standard developments

802.11 is a living standard that continues to evolve.

Significant efforts have been made in the area of interoperability. Indeed, one of the strengths of the standard is its open architecture. This strength is also a weakness, as it leaves room for interpretation. A number of details are not specified. They enable manufacturers to stand out from the competition by adding value to their product. However, this freedom leads to interoperability problems between products from different manufacturers. During its first years of operation, the standard suffered from this lack of specifications for certain mechanisms. One example is the communication protocol between access points. Interoperability between products from different manufacturers was uncertain, slowing down adoption of the standard. That's why a group was set up to guarantee interoperability and promote the...