The 802.11n draft 2.0 standard offers several technical benefits over previous technology generations, which result in improved throughput to 802.11n-based clients, as well as greater reliability for legacy 802.11a/b/g clients.

802.11n is much more than just a new radio for 802.11. In addition to providing higher bit rates (as was done in 802.11a, b, and g), 802.11n makes dramatic changes to the basic frame format that is used by 802.11 devices to communicate with each other. This section will describe the changes incorporated in 802.11n, including MIMO, radio enhancements, and MAC enhancements.

Environmental characteristics and network density plays a significant role in the ultimate performance of a network. In well designed networks, each access point can serve over 130Mbps of TCP throughput to clients using 802.11n technology, and multiple radios can operate simultaneously to provide several gigabits of throughput.