The IEEE has approved a new variant of WiFi that is geared towards better handling roaming between access points. The new 802.11r standard also known as Fast Basic Service Set Transition is designed to keep a secure WiFi connection active by anticipating the needed security settings at the next access point. The 802.11r standard achieves this by determining the security info for next access point before actually hopping to the access point. Additionally switching from access point to other access point takes less than 50ms in downtime. This fast switching between access points is quick enough to keep a VoIP call alive while switching access points. The technology can also improve office networks that require more than one access point to provide full coverage. Makers of home WiFi routers have not announced any plans to implement this technology in their products. It is also yet not know whether the new standard will requires a hardware upgrade or software upgrade can bring this functionality to routers available today.
[Via MacNN]