Benefits of 802.11ac
Wireless networking is critical to any business, especially when workers are constantly on the go. Previously, wireless connectivity could be inconsistent or slow when employees jumped between devices and locations. In many cases, this can affect productivity and lead to lost time.
Increased Data Rates
With Multi-User MIMO, each device on the network can send and receive data through multiple antennas. This helps to increase the available bandwidth for each individual device and reduces the risk of interruptions in data speeds.
Beamforming
One of the most significant changes in 802.11ac is beamforming. This enables the router to transmit a single signal, rather than a series of signals that would have caused interference and reduced range. It also improves speed and reduces interference, which is especially important in dense networks that have a lot of devices connected.
MU-MIMO
The ability to support more than one user on the same radio channel allows each device to be more efficient and reduces contention. This can be beneficial in applications like telepresence, cloud computing and remote office use where multiple users need access to data at the same time.
New Channel Sharing
The new protocol supports up to 14 80 MHz channels, or seven 160 MHz channels, to provide more efficient utilization of spectrum and greater data rates in dense environments. This is particularly helpful in applications that require high-definition video and virtual reality, says the Wi-Fi Alliance.
Power Efficiency
The 11ax standard includes several important power-saving features that can significantly improve battery life for a wide variety of clients, including IoT devices that need to be recharged frequently and can’t be switched off. These features include Target Wait Time (TWT), which can save 3x to 10x the amount of energy required to keep a client online, and a new power-saving mechanism that synchronizes wake-times to help clients conserve battery life.