Wireless networking is something we take for granted and use almost every day without a second thought. It is convenient to have network and internet access anywhere in our office or our home regardless of our location and without the need for wires. Computers, smartphones, TVs, printers, and many other electronics all have WiFi capability, which has become an indispensable feature. However, having all of these devices on your wireless network simultaneously can slow it down tremendously, interfering with productivity or entertainment.
Thankfully, wireless networking technology has progressed over the years to keep up with the growing number of wireless devices, the most recent advancement being 802.11 ac, a new standard that promises to deliver next generation speed as well as backwards compatibility. Probably the most compelling reason to upgrade your existing wireless network to 802.11ac is for the performance increase. This new standard has a maximum transfer rate of 1300 Mbps or almost 2.16 times faster than 802.11 n (the next most recent standard), assuming both use the newer 3×3 MlMO standard and optimal spatial streams. Additionally, if you are upgrading from 802.llg (commonly found on routers that are a few years old), which operates at up to 54 Mbps then you will see an even greater speed increase of approximately 29 times faster. Provided that your internet and other network components can keep up with the higher bandwidth, this performance increase will allow you to send and receive files quicker, stream videos in higher resolution, and access data on your network with close to wired connection speed. Your wireless connection will no longer be the bottleneck it once was.
To get the most out of 802.11ac, your router or access point and wireless devices both need to implement this new standard. However, 802.11ac networking equipment is backwards compatible with 802.11 alb/gin, so even though your older devices will not see a performance increase they can still connect to and utilize it.
In addition, since this new wireless standard operates at 5 GHz you are less likely to experience the same interference and overcrowding as with the older 802.11 b/gin devices, which operate at 2.4 GHz, a common issue in office building, apartment complexes, and other densely populated areas.
802.11ac is steadily gaining popularity, and for good reason too. It is much faster than its predecessors are, it is backwards compatible with existing devices, and most newer computers support it or can be upgraded to support it. If you have any questions about 802.11ac Wi-Fi, contact us any time at 866-9MH-TECH or email us at support@mhconsults.com.