Ratification of the standard was by the . Industry experts say the first official 802.11n products will be available by this holiday season, bringing to an end a ratification process that began 7 years ago. Of course, any tech topic that deals with data transmission can get filled with jargon in an awful hurry. With some invaluable input from Kelly Davis-Felner, of the trade association the I've put together an 802.11n FAQ for consumers.

What's new in 802.11n?

There are three key improvements in the new standard. The heart of wireless n standard is the addition of more "spatial streams," which are like lanes on the wireless highway, letting you transfer data faster.

There's also "channel bonding" that lets users combine two wireless frequencies for better performance and reliability. Finally, a "packet aggregation" feature squishes down the amount of overhead data needed to transfer files, allowing more room in the pipe for the files themselves.

How much faster is 802.11n compared to older standards?