Route Optimizer Master Wireless router 802.11ac Basics and FAQs

When the router is published, there are some technical terms, such as 802.11AC, 5G, gigabit, dual frequency, 2*2 antenna, Wi-Fi, and also the conclusion that "10 times times Faster", "Top Configuration", "Global X". Under the manufacturer propaganda, some people think that the product is good to be bad, also some people think the manufacturer is bragging x. This article is the wireless router knowledge popularization, each followed by a selection of suggestions, and finally review the current router.

　　One, 802.11AC

To say a wireless router, you have to say Wi-Fi first. The Wi-Fi signal emitted by the wireless router is one of the radio signals, and is set by the IEEE organization as a 802.11 standard.

The 802.11AC standard, referred to as AC, is the latest standard for wireless routers. Currently on the market can buy routers, most of the previous generation of 802.11n standard, is gradually being replaced by AC new products.

Conclusion: Now buy wireless router, AC router is preferred.

　　Two, 2.4G and 5G dual-band

Look at table 1, you will find that the 802.11 standard has 2.4G and 5G two bands, in the development process has been between 2.4G and 5G swing. But now, 5G has become the propaganda selling point of the manufacturer, as for the reason, look below:

2.4G Wi-Fi Band: transmission distance, decay weakened, can wear walls, signal good, so in the early days of the Wi-Fi development, 2.4G became the standard, successfully promote the popularity of Wi-Fi.

5G Wi-Fi Band: high frequency, can transmit a large amount of data, that is, fast, but strong attenuation, the signal is not as strong as 2.4G, transmission distance than 2.4G far, especially through the wall performance. At the same time, because of high frequency, RF circuit devices require high, high cost.

For these reasons, in the early days of Wi-Fi Development, IEEE organizations developed 2.4G first. From 1999-2009 years to 10 years, 802.11b, G, these two 2.4G bands, to promote the popularity of Wi-Fi. In particular, the 2003 802.11G standard, Intel issued Centrino notebook technology in the same year, the CPU, chipset, and 802.11g wireless network card bundled to the PC manufacturer, since then almost every notebook has standard Wi-Fi wireless card. For most users, the first Wi-Fi device is mostly Intel-architected laptops.

In the 2.4G encounter bottleneck, the IEEE snow of 5G again mountain. At this point the 5G signal poor, through the dual-frequency design has been well resolved.

Starting from the 802.11n in 2009, Wi-Fi devices support both 2.4G and 5G dual-band. The 2.4G is backwards compatible with old equipment, ensuring good wall signals and 5G for faster speeds. The latest 802.11ac, although only 5G standard, the major mainstream 802.11AC devices are dual-band design, 5G band support 802.11AC,2.4G band compatible 802.11ABGN.

In fact, this problem manufacturers are very clear, the current AC router, basically are dual-frequency. Like Xiaomi router, 5G band speed of 867mbps,2.4g for 300Mbps, according to the standard notation should be ac867+n300, and another router, Polar Route 2 generation, is ac433+n300.

Conclusion: Buy 802.11AC router, the preferred 2.4G and 5G dual-frequency.

　　How fast is the 802.11ac speed?

In the 802.11ABG era, all the wireless routers are 54M, but starting from 802.11n, the wireless router appears 150M, 300M, 450M or even 600M multiple speeds, and the router's nominal 750M and gigabit. After the advent of the AC router, the speed of the wireless router is even more chaotic, even the brand router hit 1900M speed.

In China, it's not surprising that manufacturers are bragging. Each family in the propaganda, generally put 5G and 2.4G speed, so ac433+n300 is said to be 750m,ac867+n300 into 1200M (or 1167M), this looks like the slogan beyond the gigabit cable.

Well, as I write, it's estimated that all the manufacturers have been offended, because everyone is doing it.

How fast is the wireless router? What parameters do you want to see when choosing?

1. Watch Single band Speed

Look at the previous table 1, there is a band bandwidth, and the corresponding frequency band speed. Band bandwidth can be understood as the width of the road, 5G band speed faster than 2.4G, is because the band bandwidth is larger. In the 802.11ABG period, the band bandwidth was "20MHz", and the 802.11n period was increased to "A, 40MHz", and the 802.11ac period reached "a."

Now the 802.11AC router, also supports only 80MHz band, the speed is 433Mbps. With speeds of up to 867Mbps in the 160MHz band, it is estimated that there will be a universal solution in 2015.

2, see the number of antennas

Early 802.11ABG, only 1 antennas, that is, support a group of transceivers, including 1 groups of receivers, 1 sets of transmitters, called 1x1 specifications.

The multi-transceiver mode has been added since 802.11n, and the speed is doubled. The 802.11n supports up to 4 sets of antennas with a 4x4 specification, 802.11ac up to 8 antennas with 8x8 rules, while transmitting and receiving data.

3. Router Speed = band speed × number of antennas

In the 802.11AC standard 80MHz bandwidth band, the wireless router single antenna 1x1 speed is 433Mbps, dual antenna 2x2 867Mbps, three antenna 3x3 for 1300Mbps ... With this increment, the theory supports the eight-day-line 8x8 rule. However, considering the problem of antenna layout caused by cost, power consumption and signal interference, the three-antenna 3x3 is the highest configuration of home routers.

4, the actual speed to see the mobile phone and computer wireless network card

The bottleneck of wireless speed, more in mobile phones, computers, TV boxes these terminal equipment side. The phone has only 1 Wi-Fi antennas, the highest speed can only be 433Mbps. Laptops, TVs have two, TV box before also 1, now the new box (such as Millet box 4K enhanced version) also has two antennas, the highest speed only to 867Mbps.

Conclusion: A simple understanding, 802.11ac speed of 867mbps,802.11n speed of 300MBPS,802.11ABG speed of 54Mbps.

　　Four, the actual application scenario Wi-Fi speed will decrease

It may be felt that the general household broadband 10-20mbps, even the fastest in China, that is, 100mbps,802.11n is enough, there is no need to buy 802.11ac.

In my opinion, 802.11AC routing is still necessary, this is the reason why broadband still continue to speed up, there is the pursuit of high-speed LAN speed, there is the actual use of the time, Wi-Fi speed is related to signal strength.

802.11n and AC at 5G speed, but 5G natural defect is the signal difference, the 2.4G signal is strong, but the speed is poor. Mobile phone, computer 1 meters away from the router, the 5G signal is 100%, can reach the theoretical maximum speed, but if the distance is far, the actual speed will be slow, if the wall, the speed is even slower.

Conclusion: The AC router is very fast when the signal is not so good.

Supported wireless channels in the 5G band

Wi-Fi is a kind of radio signal that is regulated in all countries of the world. Devices and wireless routers, Wi-Fi only on the same wireless channel, in order to connect, if the supported channels are different, then each other can not find the Wi-Fi signal.

Only under 2.4G, the world's countries are allowed to use the channel, the United States and Canada is 1-11, the other countries are 1-13. That way, the 1-11-channel is global, so it's no problem.

But the 5G frequency band is very special, coincident with the military radar band, although the 5G band has 24 channels, but for national security considerations, a few countries do not open the 5G frequency band (such as Qatar, Syria, Yemen, etc.). Although the 5G channel available in China has five (149-165), it is not common with Europe or Japan. That is, you in Japan, Europe to buy mobile phones, computers, in China can not find 5G signal, only under 2.4G use.

If you have parallel phone, notebook, buy AC router, should pay attention to 5G channel support situation, be prepared. Unfortunately, most AC routers do not open an open letter in the official website, before buying to do homework in the forum.

　　Vi. new technique of antenna beam forming

Traditional wireless router antenna: the choice of external antennas, personal feel 3db-5db better. Wireless router signal waveform, to see the directivity and efficiency, the smallest antenna is 1db, the waveform is very round, but with the antenna power increased to 3db, 5db, the horizontal direction of energy increase, the vertical direction is weakened. At the same time the antenna power increases by 3db, the energy radiation is one times larger.

Home, wireless router If you are in the same room, you can consider 3db, if you need to wear a wall, 5db is enough.

Beamforming: The most advanced technology for wireless routers, where traditional wireless routers emit the same and persistent Wi-Fi signal in all directions. But the beamforming antenna array is more intelligent, detects the position of the device in the network, and sends out a signal to the device in a targeted manner.

Beamforming technology, not only a good solution to the Wi-Fi signal strength problem, and no increase in energy radiation, is the router grade watershed, the current Apple routing, Millet routers support beamforming, but the low-end Xiaomi router Mini is not supported.

Conclusion: The high-end 802.11AC router can be considered in support of beamforming technology.

　　Seven, wireless router performance how to see

Above is the wireless router network configuration, but also need to pay attention to the CPU, memory, antenna three points. 2014 This batch of intelligent routers, CPU performance is 500MHz start, far more than a router needs, is already a small computer. The specific performance of the CPU and the function of the router, the current look is enough to use, there is nothing to worry about.

Router memory, the current intelligent router is also 128MB start, for the router is also redundant, select the router, 64MB memory start can be, the rich is also for the operation of the use.