In our last post, we took an in-depth look at the evolution of Wi-Fi protocols and the performance and capacity benefits of the latest 802.11ac standard. Introduced in two “waves,” 802.11ac products are capable of meeting the demands of growing numbers of mobile devices and Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives. 802.11ac Wave 2 products feature multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) technology, which optimizes airtime efficiency and increases aggregate network throughput in dense indoor and outdoor deployments.
Maximizing the benefits of 802.11ac Wave 2 technology requires an assessment of existing network infrastructure and a strategic approach. As we noted in our last post, 802.11ac Wave 2 can deliver speeds in excess of 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps). However, 1Gbps switches are often used to connect wireless access points (APs) to the wired network, meaning that the performance gains of Wave 2 would be lost. In addition, 802.11ac devices require 30-Watt Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+), but many organizations have only 15-Watt PoE capabilities.
If you’re planning to implement 802.1ac technology, you should start by assessing your wired network and your wireless LAN controller. You may need to upgrade to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) switches with PoE+ in order to support 802.11ac devices and provide high-performance uplinks. In addition, your WLAN controller must be 802.11ac-aware and capable of supporting the additional capacity.
Next, you should determine your current and anticipated capacity requirements, including the number of devices that will be used simultaneously and the types of applications the WLAN must support. You should consider a dense deployment strategy and plan to use both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands insofar as possible. Make sure you have robust management tools, whether controller- or cloud-based.
Ruckus Wireless is an award-winning provider of Wi-Fi solutions for the commercial, service provider, education and government sectors. The company recently expanded its ZoneFlex family of 802.11ac Wave 2 APs with three new models to support these use cases:
- IoT Applications. The R610 in an indoor AP that delivers data rates up to 1,900Mbps and features a USB interface capable of supporting IoT applications.
- High-Density Outdoor Deployments. The T610 is an outdoor AP that supports data rates up to 2.5Gbps and features a field-accessible USB interface for IoT applications. The R610 is ideal for high-density deployments needing guaranteed high throughput, such as high schools, universities and smart cities.
- Hospitality and Multiple Dwelling Units. The C110 AP uses coaxial cabling for network connectivity, enabling facilities such as hotels and multiple-dwelling units that lack Category 5 Ethernet cable infrastructure to easily deploy reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi. The C110 incorporates a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem and an Ethernet switch and has a low-profile wall-plate form factor that enables discreet installation over a standard electrical junction box. It is ideal for supporting concurrent IP-based services such as VoIP, IPTV and high-speed in-room device connectivity.
The R610 and T610 models can be managed via any Ruckus control and management platform, including SmartZone and ZoneDirector controllers and Ruckus Cloud Wi-Fi. The C110 can be deployed in standalone mode or centrally managed by the ZoneDirector or SmartZone controllers, offering benefits such as guest access, hotspot services and load balancing.
Verteks is a Ruckus partner with expertise in Wi-Fi deployments. Let us help you maximize the advantages of 802.11ac Wave 2 to support your mobile and wireless initiatives.
