Redefining Wireless LAN Performance, Reliability--Taking Wi-Fi Where It’s Never Gone Before
Today’s WiFi systems has a great disadvantage. The RF noise (generated by hundreds of 2,4 and 5 GHz emitters such neighbouring WiFi systems, Bluetotth PAN conncection, microwave ovens etc) is there, disturbing and making reliable data connections almost impossible in crowded RF enviroment (like downtown, shopping malls, conferences). This means that the jitter-sensitive applications (VoWiFi, Video-over WiFi) totally fails, and even normal data traffic has frequent black-outs, drops , the signal is flaky and erratic, so the performance is inconsistent. The WiFi market is still before the big-boom, in this manner the RF problems mitigation will be the key-issue in the future. Who has the visionary concept and technology to overcome it, will win in the WiFi business.
The industry’s determining agenda focuses today on security and management. These aims are important, but before we go for them do not forget what customers really want is:
wireless that works!
The technology will be presented below is solely used by one leader company highly specialized on WiFi business that has the patents developed by themselves. This is the Ruckus Wireless, who will revolutionize the exponentially growing WiFi market.
The answer--for the uprising problems detailed below—is the BeamForming technology based on Smart Antennas, which technique can be done in two different ways. The ’cheap’ and simple solution is called ‘Chip’ (or silicon) based using the same old 3x3 omnidirectional MiMo antennas, but the improvement is very little (10-20% performance and distance, minimal—1-2 dBi unwanted noise cancellation ).
Instead of that methode Ruckus had constructed such an antenna array (like phase and frequency driven antenna-arrays adapted at advanced military radar systems), where the antenna elements are located according to a specific 3D model. The antenna system is integrated together with AP’s electronics, so external antenna is not option, the Smart antenna array is the key element of the device.
Each and every antenna element (typically more than 10-15) can be automatically controlled by the AP’s (and the superiority intelligence of the ZoneDirector controller units which coordinates the teamwork between the APs) resulting that each WiFi client’s every single packet can be transmitted using 4000+ different way of antenna patterns.
BeamFlex smart antenna system can:
-focus the RF energy with Beamforming ensuring multipath beams arrives in phase and provides maximum signal density which results 10dBi/-17dB improvement (Signal gain /interference rejection)
-This fact leads to extended range and superior performance with significantly less (-30-50%)
number of APs (huge cost savings at the wired, backbone infrastructure investments)
-Cause significantly less interference to adjacent APs (own or neighbouring systems)
-Horizontally and vertically polarised elements offer 4000+ unique antenna patterns automatically selected on a per packet/per client basis
-Attenuate interference from adjacent APs, clients and other RF sources
- Automatically adapts to moves, adds and changes—since the WiFi environment is never the same, changing all the time (besides the APs ‘follows’ each client--maximum512--with different and unique beams which can vary packet-packet)
-The ZoneDirector controller automatically steers two independent beam during a roaming (from AP1 cell to AP2) ensuring packet-loss 50 ms roam
-ideal for build a SmartMESH system, where intelligent RF signal routing is applied to determine best paths to client and between mesh nodes – which topology can be varied if environment changes using:
- beam steering optimized for meshing
- Self forming, -healing, -optimizing intelligence
In conclusion we can summarize that Ruckus Wireless BeamForming system is extensively used at all traditional WiFi pplications because of cost and reliablitiy reasons (enterprise segment, suburban long-range alternative services providers, Campuses, manufacture, shopping malls), but we have to emphasize the growing needs for high speed data at cellular operators. This means that cell operators offer far low CAPEX and OPEX cost (compared to LTE) Ruckus WiFi solutions in crowded RF enviroment for a large number of users as an alternative, piko-cell wifi service (since the wifi is widely implemented in all smart-phones) , even using the SMART-MESH capabilities.