802.11 wireless networking has been overhauled to add Virtual Access Points (VAP) support, which allows multiple wireless networks to be hosted from a single access point. Draft 802.11 mesh networking support allows FreeBSD-based devices to dynamically link together to create a larger wireless network. Also added are TDMA extensions to 802.11, targeted at long-haul WiFi networks.

FreeBSD 8.0's network stack also offers multiprocessing optimizations: a revised link layer subsystem, per-CPU flow cache, multiqueue transmit support, and significant UDP and TCP protocol scalability improvements. Zero-copy buffer extensions to BPF improve high volume packet capture performance.

In FreeBSD 8.0, virtual machine administrators in FreeBSD's ground-breaking lightweight "Jails" can now create their own nested jails. FreeBSD now supports host and guest modes in VirtualBox, and can run as a 32-bit Xen DomU guest.

The Network File System (NFS) implementation has been enhanced with GSSAPI encryption, and also experimental NFSv4 client and server support. In addition to ZFS moving from experimental to production status, FreeBSD 8.0 introduces GPT boot support.

Other notable updates in FreeBSD Version 8.0 include: "FreeBSD 8.0's wireless network stack is the industry leader, and makes FreeBSD the platform of choice for a future generation of networking products," said FreeBSD Core Team member Robert Watson. "Enterprise consumers will appreciate 8.0's improved virtualization, storage, and multiprocessor scalability."