The program is an update of the Alliance’s two-year-old Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 program and adds testing for optional features now more widely available in Wi-Fi equipment.
The Wi-Fi Alliance has also introduced updated logos and a product labeling matrix "to help consumers make informed choices about Wi-Fi products".
The optional features now tested include three spatial streams, A-MPDU packet aggregation, Space-time Block Coding (STBC) and channel coexistence ("good neighbor" behavior when using 40 MHz operation in the 2.4 GHz band).
As previously reported, products certified under the previous 802.11n draft 2.0 program are grandfathered into Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n and are not required to be submitted for re-test.