Wi-Fi Alliance® launched Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS certification program in August this year. TDLS (Tunneled Direct Link Setup) is a new connection standard, enabling two devices that support Wi-Fi to connect directly to one another after they have joined a traditional Wi-Fi network. Without any complicated settings and no need to transfer data via access point, these two devices automatically build a secure and direct P2P connection. This means in the future, smartphones, tablets, TVs, cameras, projectors or any other consumer electronics products will be able to connect with each other to transfer content and share applications quickly and easily through Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS technique. Generally speaking, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS would promote connection ability of Wi-Fi device and reduce access point’s delay and interference from high loading volume of content. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS makes it easier for users and makes the technical applications of Wi-Fi and overall bandwidth more efficient without upgrading access point.
According to Wi-Fi Alliance®, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS is based upon the IEEE 802.11z standard amendment and is certified with WPA2™ security. In personal home and enterprise environments, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS technology is able to enhance the efficiency of communication between different devices in a network, such as AV streaming, data migration and data backup. Complete standard technology will bring new Wi-Fi advantages to users and network applications.
- Optimize data transmission for more efficiency: Since Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS certified devices can support 802.11n, they can automatically connect to one another and measure each other’s signal strengths, adopting the fastest technical standard, which devices are able to support and thus they can choose the best way to connect to each other (802.11n). Which means, even if the network access point can only support lower-bandwidth Wi-Fi network(such as 802.11g), these two devices can still directly link together and transfer data via Wi-Fi network 802.11n.
- High security protection: With the highest WPA2™ security protection, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS certified devices can still transfer data by the most security-protected way when connecting to each other even though the network access point doesn’t support that level of security.
- Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS can operate within a Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Direct™ network: Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Direct™ networks are device-to device networks in which a single device acts as a “Group Owner” and no traditional access point is required. A single Group Member can connect with Group Owner to transfer data in a Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Direct™ network. On the other side, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS is able to make two Group Member devices directly connect with each other behind Wi-Fi network. These two technical standards are complementary to each other. If a device is certified by both of these two technical standards, it can use them in a most efficient way when under different Wi-Fi network environments.
- Enhancement of work efficiency: Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS will optimize any applications that operate through Wi-Fi networks, avoiding any latencies resulted from access point’s traffic flow. What to be mentioned is that traditional Wi-Fi transmission relies on network access point, which means when transferring files, two devices need two data packets. However, if two devices are within a permitted communication range of one another, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS is able to skip network access point and directly connect with another device, reducing by half the number of packet transmissions and thus increases network transmission efficiency.
- Usability: Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS builds its links automatically, totally without any user’s manual settings.
- Power save mechanism: When a power supply device joins the link of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS, it can conserves electricity with advanced mechanisms.
Therefore, after realizing the advantages of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS, we can understand what the picture above stands for: despite under using circumstance like this, wireless access point only supports lower-speed 802.11g and WPA of lower-security level. But since the TV and smartphone (support 802.11n and WPA2™) are both Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS certified, they can still have 802.11n transmission speed and WPA2™ of high security and ignore network access point, directly having TDLS connection.
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS certification program is a really breakthrough of Wi-Fi technology. Although the certification program is optional, its convenient usability such as no complicated user settings allows devices to quickly negotiate and establish a TDLS link automatically and make data transmission more efficient, optimizing the entire efficiency experience of Wi-Fi technology when users are streaming multimedia files. Allion is the ATL (Authorized Test Laboratory) to conduct Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ TDLS certification program. The service coverage will include the standard certification testing, device interoperability, debugging support, and technical consultation. To obtain further info or if you need a prompt response regarding this program, please contact service@allion.com