How to choose a router: everything you can and cannot save on. All existing Wi-Fi network standards
Manufacturers of modern routers often seem to over-praise their products. Perhaps no other category of devices attracts buyers with such fantastic speeds as 1900, 3100 or even 5300 Mbps, which are indicated on packaging and boxes. However, it should be clear to every user that all these are just theoretically possible maximum values that have absolutely nothing to do with reality, as our testing of seven 802.11ac wireless LAN routers proves once again. These are the best devices from seven manufacturers at prices up to 25,000 rubles.
Increased speed thanks to Dual Band technology
The 802.11ac router really delivers high network speeds, which is why we spent a lot of time and attention testing performance in a variety of use cases. In the test laboratory we determined, on the one hand, the throughput in optimal conditions- for example, they placed the end equipment directly next to the router. But in real conditions, hardly anyone sits near the router for a long time, so we also conducted practical benchmarks by moving devices at long distances from the router. But no matter how hard we tried, no matter what measurement methods we used, we did not achieve the maximum possible theoretical data transfer speed according to the 802.11ac and 802.11n standards in testing.
All seven tested routers support Dual technology Band, that is, they can work in the frequency ranges of 2.4 and 5 GHz simultaneously and send several parallel streams. Theoretically, at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, the speed of one stream can reach 150 Mbit/s, at 5 GHz - 433 Mbit/s. Participants in our testing work with three to four data streams, so the maximum throughput at a frequency of 2.4 GHz in theory is 450–600 Mbit/s, at 5 GHz - 1300–1733 Mbit/s.
The highest result in the entire test - 658 Mbps downstream (Download) - was provided by Synology RT1900AC. The performance of the remaining devices fluctuates around 600 Mbit/s, with the exception of the D-Link DIR-890L and AVM FritzBox 7490 models, which close the list with results of 530 and 519 Mbit/s, respectively.
As for the reverse direction, that is, the transfer of data from the client to the router (Upload), then the balance of power is different. The highest figures (621 Mbit/s) were given by TP-Link Archer C9 AC1900, behind it is a router from Synology (612 Mbit/s). AVM turned out to be at the bottom of the ranking here too - its data transfer speed was only 417 Mbit/s. The results for data transfer from other devices turned out to be generally lower than for reception, but consistently above 500 Mbit/s.
However, it is more interesting for the end user to know not the maximum values, but what to expect from the throughput under typical operating conditions. The router from Synology turned out to be the fastest here - with a high-speed client supporting 802.11ac, the speed reached 463 Mbps. Next come Netgear R6400 (454 Mbps) and Zyxel NBG6816 (429 Mbps). All other devices, except for the model from D-Link, reached the barrier of 400 Mbit/s. The end equipment is important for the performance of the router - this is shown by the test results with a client supporting the slower 802.11n standard: D-Link with such a client unexpectedly gave the best result (358 Mbps), and FritzBox - the worst (176 Mbps) .
Failure in real conditions
Once again, the picture changed when we raised the bar, moving client devices far away from routers. As you would expect, the data transfer speed dropped. TP-Link did better than everyone else (369 Mbit/s), even ahead of the winner ASUS testing DSL-AC68U (350 Mbps), closely followed by Netgear (349 Mbps). But when working with a device with a particularly high speed (ASUS PCE-AC68 adapter), all routers encountered difficulties: in order to avoid packet loss, they reduced the data transfer rate, as a result of which it could drop to 14 Mbit/s (Zyxel).
Tri-Band and MU-MIMO: new speeds for wireless networks
Tri-band technologies (support for working with three frequency bands) and MU-MIMO (multi-user MIMO system based on the use of multiple antennas) will not make individual clients work faster. But they significantly increase the overall network throughput, which includes several devices. However, models that support new technologies and which are discussed below are more expensive than the participants in our test.
Tri-band
Typically routers are equipped with two wireless network modules. Within the Tri-band technology, three of them are used. Such devices deploy two networks in the 5 GHz band and one in the 2.4 GHz band. The peculiarity of the technology is that clients are automatically distributed across networks depending on their speed, so it cannot be said that the maximum throughput on a single device increases: the fact is that slow devices like old tablets and readers no longer interfere with the work of high-speed ones. Compared to the fastest wireless LAN router tested (TP-Link Archer), the tri-band Asus RT-AC3200 can run at full speed with two clients connected to networks at once.
This technology only produces results if both the router and clients support it. Then the router can exchange data with devices not in order, but simultaneously. MU-MIMO also does not imply an increase in throughput by separate device. But when parallel connection to the local network of several clients, the total data transfer speed increases. With the use of appropriate equipment, the difference is ultimately noticeable: in our testing, the speed increased to 48%. But we must keep in mind that MU-MIMO only works in the direction from the router to the device and only in close proximity.
How to choose the right WLAN router
Data transfer speed is undoubtedly an important, but not the only factor when choosing a router. We evaluate equipment and functionality no less carefully than performance. To better navigate the rich assortment, you need to look first at the equipment. For example, if you connect to the Internet via DSL and do not want to keep several devices in the house, you are better off purchasing a router with a built-in modem - of the tested devices, these are the FritzBox devices and the ASUS test winner. All other routers require the connection of a separate modem.
But if you need a router with additional support for VoIP telephony or DECT technology for cordless phones, even ASUS is forced to give up. Of the devices tested, only the FritzBox 7490 performs this practical function. However, by equipment we also mean some other functions, for example support Dual Band for parallel operation in two frequency ranges - 2.4 and 5 GHz. All tested devices cope with this, and D-Link is equipped with three access points at once - two for the 5 GHz band and one for 2.4 GHz (Tri Band technology). Advantage this decision This occurs primarily when several devices operate on the same wireless network at different speeds.
Another important feature is that the router supports the entire channel bandwidth in the 5 GHz band. Apart from TP-Link, which uses channels from 36 to 48, all tested devices cope with this.
Security questions
Securing your wireless network is equally important. Therefore, all presets related to this deserve special points, since not all users are aware of the appropriate encryption algorithms and password protection and not everyone wants to do this. Advanced router settings can sometimes be extremely confusing. Only four routers deserve full security points, which, among other things, involve the use of individual WPA2 keys: AVM, Zyxel, D-Link and TP-Link. However, all routers provide the ability to create guest networks in which you can surf the Internet, but do not have access to internal resources such as network storage.
Additional features
It would be a good idea for experienced users to inquire about the additional functionality of routers in advance. For example, some routers can be used as network storage - by connecting a hard drive to store large collections of media files, or using a quick-made USB flash drive. Among the devices we tested, NAS functions, including access to a drive with the NTFS file system, are supported by all models. For some reason, D-Link engineers deprived their own router of the print server function, but all other devices provide free access to the printer connected to their USB connector from the network.
When choosing a router, neglect the small ones technical characteristics not worth it. So, by default, all tested devices are equipped with four Gigabit Ethernet ports, but USB 3.0 connectors for high speed connection Two copies are available only on FritzBox and Zyxel. In addition, the WPS, Wi-Fi on/off and reset buttons located directly on the device are practical.
Victory in the test goes to ASUS DSL-AC68U, which performed confidently in all test disciplines. Immediately behind it is the Netgear R6400 (AC1750 Smart Wi-Fi) - it is inferior to the leader only in terms of equipment. If you only care about performance, best buy The TP-Link Archer C9 AC1900 that took last place will be. And the FritzBox device combines a wireless LAN router, a DSL modem and a DECT base station.
End devices support 802.11ac
The high-speed 802.11ac network, of course, can only be used on clients that support 802.11ac, which is almost all modern mobile devices. While older smartphones and tablets cannot be retrofitted, PCs and laptops can be equipped with adapters that connect via USB 3.0 or PCIe (see table above) and provide 802.11ac support. WITH USB is easier In total: you need to install the manufacturer’s software driver, connect the device via USB and configure it, then turn off the previous wireless network (using the switch on the device or through “Control Panel | Network and Sharing Center | Change adapter settings” by clicking right click mouse over the name of the old adapter and clicking “Disable”).
For desktop PCs, it is most logical to use just such adapters, since they can be connected via a USB extension cable and placed higher. PCIe expansion cards with external antennas and extenders, which can weaken the signal, are quite rare. At the CHIP testing center they produced very inconsistent results. In laptops, hobbyists can easily replace the 802.11n module with the only available Intel Wireless-AC 7260 adapter, if the computer is equipped with 5 GHz antennas and the BIOS allows this, which you first need to find out on the Internet.
PHOTO: manufacturing companies
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Introduction
Once upon a time, any modern highway was a driver's dream. The asphalt was new and the lanes were empty. But congestion was inevitable. People began to jump onto the highway more and more often in order to travel their usual route faster. The population grew, and with it the number of cars clogging the streets grew. What was once a carefree evening stroll has now become a dead-end four-hour traffic jam.
Despite the car analogies, we are actually talking about the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi range. It may very well be that at the time of the birth of the 802.11b standard (around 1999), it was possible to develop these measly 11 Mbit/s on the highway, but it was unlikely that there would be anyone else on the road. Let's go back to today. Despite the introduction of new standards 802.11g and 802.11n, the 2.4 GHz band has turned into a thick mess, clogged with laptops, netbooks, wireless acoustic systems, Bluetooth peripherals, smartphones, tablets, TVs and set-top boxes, game consoles, household appliances and a whole bunch of other devices. All these gadgets strive to take over just three channels (taking into account overlapping bands) provided by the 802.11b standard. 802.11g/n networks with a 20 MHz bandwidth have four channels, while 802.11g networks with a 40 MHz bandwidth have only two.
Meanwhile, 802.11a, which uses the 5 GHz frequency band, provides significantly more non-overlapping channels (23 to be exact). And while 802.11a theoretically provided speeds of up to 54 Mbps, comparable to 802.11g, the alternative, operating in the 2.4 GHz band, achieved success due to the fact that longer waves are better at penetrating obstacles. The transmission range of the 5 GHz signal, which has almost twice the amplitude of the 2.4 GHz wave, is significantly lower than that of its competitor, which is why the 802.11b/g protocol has become the dominant standard wireless communication. When the 802.11n standard, which supports both frequency bands, was introduced, wireless communications had already become so popular that interference and network congestion began to become a serious problem for many users. And although the 802.11n protocol included several technologies designed to improve network performance, it was already obvious that the 2.4 GHz band was sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of interference. Read more about these problems and some of the solutions implemented in the 802.11n standard in our articles and.
The successor to 802.11n, namely 802.11ac, has not yet been adopted into the final specification needed for vendors to feel confident enough to start releasing serial products. 802.11ac is currently in draft version Draft 4.0. According to the 802.11 Working Group, the new standard should be approved at the end of 2013, although by then the technology will already be widely available on the market.
Qualcomm's first 802.11ac chipset began shipping in November 2011. In April 2012, Netgear offered the first consumer 802.11ac router with Broadcom hardware. Soon other manufacturers followed suit. It is expected that by the end of 2013, mid-range and high-end consumer routers will completely migrate from 802.11n to the 802.11ac standard.
But for now, the 802.11ac standard is still new, relatively rare, and equipment for it is still expensive. Is it worth the money? In the past, we've seen pre-standard wireless devices that didn't justify their high price tag. Will we be disappointed or is this a great price for a serious increase in performance? There's only one way to find out.
Benefits of 802.11ac
Gigabit without wires. This phrase plays a fundamental role in the marketing of the 802.11ac standard, because wireless network providers finally have technology that can compete with Category 5e or 6 cable. Why bother with the deployment and location restrictions of wired networks when you can get the same result via Wi-Fi? There is no need - if only all this is true.
As we showed in the article "Gigabit Ethernet in a home network: should I switch or not?", speeds of more than 100 Mbit/s can be obtained in gigabit networks with both nine- and fifteen-meter cables. From the same material it follows that such networks are practically insensitive to adverse effects environment. So, unlike wireless networks, we then abandoned the idea of, “Well, it just says 1000 Mbps, but I only get 30 Mbps.” If there are no obstacles, a gigabit is a gigabit. Dot. As we will see later, 802.11ac is not a gigabit standard, it’s all marketing. But is it better than 802.11n? Definitely.
To understand why 802.11ac is superior, you need to understand its key advantages over previous generation Wi-Fi technology.
Use only the 5 GHz band. The 802.11n standard allows for the use of either the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band, and we know that the 2.4 GHz band is already crowded. It is functional, but unreliable, and the wider the channel we need for data transmission, for example, HD video, the higher the requirements for its reliability. Simply put, the capabilities of the 2.4 GHz band are almost completely exhausted, at least within the framework of current generation technologies. It is possible to force increased throughput using "bad neighbor" tactics by merging channels, but this will result in a negative impact on all other wireless devices. The 5 GHz band is virtually virgin territory for wireless communications, and the IEEE has selected it for use as a next-generation communications standard.
Wider communication channels. The 802.11n standard allows two 20 MHz channels to be combined into one 40 MHz wide channel. In the 2.4 GHz band, due to the use of 40 MHz bands, the number of actually available channels is limited to three. In the 5 GHz band, 23 20 MHz wide channels are available, which means 11 effective 40 MHz channels. In the 802.11ac standard, we start with five non-overlapping 80 MHz channels. The 802.11ac specification allows two channels to be combined into one 160 MHz wide channel, but this is only possible for two of the five channels. Let's put aside the usefulness of 160-MHz channels until we hear stories about how such ultra-wide channels work in the residential sector, especially in the company of wireless HDTVs and smartphones.
More MIMO. Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO, “Multiple Input, Multiple Output”) technology ensures that a single data stream is divided into several component streams that can be broadcast and received separately. This separation and subsequent reconnection of the signal in many cases allows for higher data transfer rates. However, the more of these flows ( correct name- "spatial streams", spacial streams"), the more antennas are required for their transmission (Tx) and reception (Rx). Speeds of about 450 Mbit/s, advertised as working for high-end equipment of the latest generation 802.11n standard, are achieved only with provided that a 3x3:3 antenna array is used (three for transmission, three for reception, three streams). And if the 802.11n standard provides for up to four spatial streams, then in 802.11ac there can be up to eight.
Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO). MIMO technology makes it possible to turn multiple users into spatially distinct but wirelessly linked resources. In other words, several radio terminals installed in a given area can interact to improve the performance of each of them. Single-user MIMO, implemented in the 802.11n standard, can only work with multiple antennas hardware coupled to a single terminal. With 802.11ac MU-MIMO, multiple access points can simultaneously process MIMO signals from multiple clients, rather than quickly (and inefficiently) shunting the signal from one to another. Such a design could dramatically improve wireless performance in "highly populated" areas.
Changing the radiation pattern. In the article "Why Wi-Fi doesn't work well and how to fix it. Part 1" We have paid a lot of attention to the formation of different antenna radiation patterns and the conditions under which this can improve network performance. At the time of this writing, there is no industry standard for beamforming, so buyers are forced to choose from several manufacturers who have seen fit to improve their 802.11n equipment with their own developments in this area.
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Broadcom: first-hand comments
While searching for information about 802.11ac chips, we realized that Broadcom was the only reputable source. We reached out to AWE's Senior Director of Wireless and Networked Entertainment, Dino Bekis, and AWE's Head of Technical Marketing, Richard Ibarra, to get their thoughts on where 802.11ac stands today and what the future holds.
Tom's Hardware: Well, we have a new wireless specification that will redirect most of the existing traffic from the 2.4 GHz radio band to the 5 GHz band. After the transition to the new standard is completed, won't this lead to the same situation with overflow of the airwaves as a couple of years ago?
Broadcom: This is always a possibility, but thanks to new modulation schemes and the use of 20, 40, 80 and finally 160 MHz channels, we have more signal modulation options. We have wide frequency resources. So even if we assume the possibility of overflow, we have a thick “pipe” in the form of modulation circuits that will ensure data transmission. Will these measures be enough? Yes, that day will eventually come, but we are still very far from it. Let me emphasize that if we divide the two bands between different types of traffic and different technologies, this will benefit the entire available frequency range. If we use different technologies in different bands, then, in my opinion, this will reduce their load and allow us to implement some interesting ideas at the 5 GHz frequency.
Tom's Hardware: Which for example?
Broadcom: One of our priorities is video streaming. Obviously, video broadcasting is one of the main types of Internet traffic. Video transfer, video download, video playback. All this takes up a significant part of the channel capacity, so a separate band must be allocated for it. As we can see, so far the 5 GHz band copes with this task quite effectively. It may be worth sending most of your data traffic to the 2.4 GHz band and using the 5 GHz band mostly for video. We are already seeing something similar in our industry. However, I would not go so far as to state this as a strict policy of our company or any of our clients.
Tom's Hardware: It is clear that the faster the better. But is there any other point in switching to the 802.11ac standard, besides another increase in speed?
Broadcom: When I look at fifth-generation Wi-Fi, I highlight four benefits of this technology. Firstly, this is the overall bandwidth, the ability to implement a real gigabit wireless local network at home. Until recently, this was simply unattainable. Second, with per-user bandwidth requirements and greater aggregation capabilities, we can support more users on the same network. The radio communication scheme itself is much more reliable here than in 802.11n networks. We're getting much better performance in both speed and range than we've seen in the past with 802.11n networks.
In addition, we have the opportunity to transmit data with much lower energy consumption than in 802.11n networks. This is extremely important for two very different categories of equipment: battery-powered devices, where long battery life is important, and mains-powered equipment, where high energy efficiency and reduced electricity consumption are required to meet various green standards adopted in this industry.
Finally, with 802.11ac we have a much more standardized approach to all aspects of the technology than we had with 802.11n. For example, we need to support higher network throughput, such as 256-QAM modulation, for applications such as fast synchronization or data downloading. In the past, various methods were used for this - “turbo mode”, etc. Now this is not required. Previously, antenna beamforming mechanisms were proprietary to companies, but now we have a standard that allows for compatibility between equipment from different manufacturers. There are no longer these islands of technology tying you to any one vendor. You get more throughput, more users, faster speeds and lower power consumption. All these are the most important advantages of the 802.11ac standard.
Tom's Hardware: Broadcom has its own chips for 802.11ac. Do you think other manufacturers will share your enthusiasm for this industry-standardized approach?
Broadcom: From the point of view of market prospects, we are so far the only company that already supplies such a product today. Serial production of the chips began in May 2012, and they are very well received by the market. In June, the first PCs with a built-in 5G Wi-Fi module were presented, in particular, Asus demonstrated them at the Computex exhibition. We expect some high-end electronic platforms, such as TVs, to hit the market in early 2013 with an integrated 802.11ac chip. In the first quarter of 2013, serial production of several phone models with 802.11ac support should begin.
Tom's Hardware: Some people tend to be cautious and not rush to switch to 802.11ac until the final specification for this standard is adopted. I remember the compatibility problems that arose at one time with equipment of the “preliminary” standards 11g Turbo, Pre-N, Draft N, etc.
Broadcom: In addition, no one emerged victorious from the battle around 11n. So when it came time to take a closer look at the 802.11ac standard, all vendors made a very conscious effort not to repeat this mistake. From the very beginning, the 802.11ac specification was much more defined than the 802.11n standard. So now we are at the final stage of the project. The 802.11ac standard will be approved in the first quarter of 2013, and very few additions have been made to the working versions. Different opinions converged very quickly. Even if some changes are made, they will be minor and it is expected that they can be implemented through small software updates. No more hardware changes required. I can't say that their probability is zero, but it is as close to zero as can be predicted. I think everything is fine.
Tom's Hardware: The wide channels in the 5 GHz band give us some cause for concern. The 802.11ac standard provides for the possibility of organizing channels up to 160 MHz wide, while in 802.11n already 40 MHz channels created problems. Should we worry?
Broadcom: Work has been done to ensure that 802.11ac does not have a significant impact on devices operating in the 5 GHz band. There's no getting away from the fact that when you go from 40 MHz channels to 80 and 160 MHz channels, you're using up more of the spectrum. At some point you will run into a limit on the number of channels you can use on these bands. So yes, there are ways to go back from 160 MHz to narrower channels, but the laws of physics will not allow a large number of clients in the same location to operate on multiple 160 MHz channels. Today we are seeing a situation where 80 MHz channels are becoming the default setup. 160 MHz may be in demand in the future, but for now it is not in particularly high demand.
In addition, from the point of view of the standard, channels with a width of 80 MHz are mandatory, but 160 MHz are not. And for today's applications, eighty is quite enough. If you look at the current router settings, you will see that they are locked to 80 MHz. People tend to be conservative when deploying new equipment and try to measure everything. They want to make sure the new technology is launched successfully before taking further steps.
Tom's Hardware: Is the 80 MHz limit in routers implemented at the hardware level or in the firmware? I am sure that there will be people willing to hack the firmware if it makes it possible to achieve higher speeds.
Broadcom: No, this is not firmware. The maximum channel width of 80 MHz is now implemented in hardware.
Tom's Hardware: The 802.11n standard provided four spatial streams, although few people used more than three. Currently, 802.11ac has a maximum of eight. Will they be in demand?
Broadcom: Indeed, the 802.11n standard supported up to four spatial streams, but few people took advantage of it. Broadcom produced equipment with three, then two spatial streams for tablets and one for mobile phones. Three streams were intended for use with high-end personal computers and organizing infrastructure-type networks (that is, for access points). Yes, 802.11ac supports up to eight spatial streams. Based on our market research and customer reports, this is a matter of taste. In North America and Europe, everyone loves the rounded design and built-in antennas. If you go to Asia, the more visible antennas there are, the higher the device’s performance is rated. I think this is interesting from a cultural point of view. But from the point of view of price and performance, the vast majority of our clients consider three spatial streams optimal for network deployment. And, of course, three streams in 802.11ac will give you three times the advantage over 802.11n. I don't see much interest in further improving performance, at least not yet. Additional spatial streams can provide improved performance, but you'll have to pay a hefty price for it.
Tom's Hardware: Provide a forecast for the next six months and describe a typical use case for 802.11ac and its associated frequency band.
Broadcom: The release of AT&T's U-verse set-top box was a watershed moment for the industry. You may have seen advertisements where this wireless device is used by a pool or something, and the owners don't have to worry about connecting any cables. Representatives of all operators with whom we have communicated are trying to move in the same direction. Add here very high access speeds, home digital video recorders, wireless players that simultaneously broadcast many programs to different TVs. Plus portable devices, videos from which you or your friends will want to display on big screen. All it takes frequency channel. If you're wondering where 300 to 400 Mbps of bandwidth can go today, keep in mind that each HD video stream, especially in 3D, takes up 10 to 25 Mbps. You will immediately begin to consume all the channel capacity provided by your home router. So moving to 802.11ac will allow you to stream video - both at the user level and at the provider level.
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Equipment and testing methods
Let's start with the usual caveats when testing wireless technology. We described in detail in the article "Why Wi-Fi doesn't work well and how to fix it. Part 2" about how negatively real-life testing conditions in the residential sector affect the results of performance tests such as the ones we conducted here. However, unless you have access to an industrial-grade test chamber shielded from radio frequency interference, or perhaps a satellite in lunar orbit, then you will have to try to find a place with not too much radio traffic and a minimum of interference. That's it, if that's what you need. But there is a convincing counter-argument in favor of an area with heavily clogged radio air: the results of such testing will reflect difficult real-life operating conditions that place increased demands on routers. Real world- This is good. Conditions that change randomly are bad. However, we tried to find patterns in the results of various tests with different types traffic, and, we hope, were able to come to reliable general conclusions.
All tests were carried out in a country house. Measurements in the 2.4 GHz band were performed using channel 1 with 40 MHz/auto settings because this channel (from 1, 6, and 11) had the fewest visible competing access points. For all tests in the 5 GHz band, channel 161 was selected according to the same principle. As with many other variables when testing Wi-Fi equipment, we also had a little controversy about this. In the end, we decided to use fixed channels in order to compare the results obtained from different routers. Perhaps we should have chosen the more popular channel 11 in the 2.4 GHz band, since more high frequencies usually means higher throughput, even in the face of higher levels of interference from surrounding traffic. Moreover, perhaps it was not worth blocking automatic selection channels, which would allow us to better understand how routers cope with changing operating conditions. There is no right or wrong approach here, and we may return to testing these variables later in this article.
For tests we used two systems, a “server” in the form of a desktop computer and a “client” in the form of a laptop. The server was constantly located on the top floor of the house in a corner room. The client was placed either in the same room within direct visibility three meters from the server, or on the first floor in the opposite corner of the house 20 meters from the server. In all tests, the server was connected to the router via a gigabit network. The client connected in bridge mode to an additional Netgear R6300 router for testing in the 2.4 GHz band or to a Cisco Linksys WUMC710 router to test communications in the 802.11ac standard (via a gigabit network). The directional orientation of the routers and bridges was kept constant throughout all tests.
We conducted three main tests. First, we created a 2GB folder consisting of several hundred MP3s, EXEs, and random work documents. This folder was used to test the data transfer speed in both directions. We then switched to the network test module in PassMark PerformanceTest 7 (we will move to version 8 in subsequent articles). Finally, we used Ixia's IxChariot package to confirm the results of PerformanceTest 7, as well as to examine some of the traffic characteristics in more detail. Specifically, we ran two built-in scripts and transferred 100 records using the High-Performance TCP Throughput script and 1000 records using the UDP Throughput script.
Here is the configuration of our test systems:
| Test Server Specifications | |
| CPU | AMD FX-8150 (Zambezi) @ 3.6 GHz (18 * 200 MHz), Socket AM3+, 8 MB L3, Turbo Core mode enabled, power saving mode enabled |
| Motherboard | Asus Crosshair V Formula (Socket AM3+) on AMD 990FX/SB950 chipset, BIOS 1703 |
| RAM | G.Skill 16 GB (4 x 4 GB) DDR3-1600, F3-12800CL9Q2-32GBZL @ DDR3-1600, 1.5 V |
| Storage device | Patriot Wildfire 256 GB SSD |
| Graphic arts | AMD Radeon HD 7970 3 GB GDDR5 |
| power unit | PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 850 W |
| operating system | |
| Test Client Specifications | |
| Model | Asus N56VM |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-3720QM (Ivy Bridge) @ 2.60 GHz (26 * 100 MHz), 6 MB L3, Hyper-Threading enabled, mode Turbo Boost enabled, energy saving mode enabled |
| RAM | Hyundai 8GB (2 x 4GB) PC3-12800, HMT351S6CFR8C-PB @ 1.5V |
| Storage device | Hard Seagate drive ST9750420AS 750 GB, 7,200 rpm |
| Graphic arts | Nvidia GeForce GT 630M |
| operating system | Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) |
Test of five 802.11ac routers | AirLive N450R and Asus RT-AC66U
AirLive N450R
The AirLive router is the black sheep in our company. N450R is a dual-band router, but it is not compatible with the 802.11ac standard. But it can form a radiation pattern in both bands of the 802.11n standard. The manufacturer specifies throughput of up to 450 Mbit/s for the 5 GHz band and up to 300 Mbit/s for 2.4 GHz. On paper, this looks like the best option for 5GHz, just shy of 802.11ac. We also needed a low-cost, high-performance previous-generation router to compare 802.11ac routers to. According to AirLive, this router should cost around $116.
Unlike the beautiful graphical interfaces of routers famous manufacturers, AirLive's menus look pretty simple - the type of menus most devices used five or six years ago. And that doesn't mean they are bad. IN N450R all necessary basic functions, in addition, the router comes with detailed and understandable documentation in English. Like all routers in our test, the N450R has four Gigabit Ethernet ports and a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button for easy pairing with compatible adapters. The N450R also has two USB ports for connecting a NAS and a 3G adapter.
Asus RT-AC66U
Like the AirLive, the Asus router has three external antennas, but Asus goes all out to realize their full potential. Router RT-AC66U(~7000 rubles according to Yandex.Market) can operate in 3x3:3 mode in both radio bands, the declared speed for 2.4 GHz 802.11n is up to 450 Mbit/s, for 5 GHz 802.11ac - up to 1300 Mbit/s. Asus doesn't say directly that this router has a beam correction system, but the description does say that its "exclusive AiRadar technology" can "detect the direction" in which connecting clients are located and amplify their signals, which is exactly what it sounds like formation of orientation, although it may be something else. If you wish, you can unscrew the standard removable antennas and connect something more efficient to the router.
In this article, the main thing for us is hardware and performance, so we will not pay attention to ease of use and other features of routers. However, it's worth mentioning that the RT-AC66U is quite user-friendly, from the in-browser setup process to the on-screen internal monitoring to perhaps the most attractive and intuitive user menu we've ever seen on a router.
We especially liked the AiCloud technology, which is something like " cloud server" Pogoplug built into the router. Like AirLive, Asus has two USB 2.0 ports, but thanks to AiCloud they can be used to greater advantage. First of all, data from any external storage device (PC, NAS, USB, etc.), connected to the router, can be transmitted via the AiCloud service and broadcast to a mobile device running Android or iOS, or to a personal computer (via a web browser). DDNS settings, which allows you to achieve the same functionality, AiCloud is much simpler and much more convenient.
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Belkin AC1200 DB and Buffalo AC1300/N900
Belkin AC1200 DB
First - about the bad. We spent about an hour on the phone with Belkin tech support before they sent us a replacement router that wouldn't connect to the client in long-distance tests. However, the second copy had the same problem, so it will no longer be possible to refer to an accidental defect.
The bottom line is that Belkin tried to make a better offer than its competitors ($150 on Amazon) based on the 802.11ac standard and a 2x2 scheme, but the result was weak. Giant letters appear on this model: “marketing has defeated engineers.” We don't like to criticize hardware, but in this case that's not necessary. The results reflected in our tables will speak for themselves.
If you've been wondering why Belkin's ads talk about the benefits of 802.11ac rather than the advancements of their own models (“up to 2.8x faster physical data transfer speeds than Wi-Fi router 802.11n with two antennas for reception and transmission"), now you know why.
Let's not kick people who are lying down. Yes, y AC1200 There are four gigabit ports, basic functions of QoS, parental lock, WPS and so on are supported. Yes, it can simultaneously handle traffic in two bands. The custom menu is nothing special. Why continue? A technical support representative told us that Belkin is working on an improved version of this router that will feature a 3x3 antenna design. Wait for it if you're interested. The AC1200 router with a 2x2 scheme is quite functional on short distances to the client, but any decent 802.11n router will easily beat it and for much less money. A little weak, Belkin, a little weak.
Buffalo AC1300/N900
On the other hand, the router Buffalo AirStation AC1300/N900(WZR-D1800H, $160 on Newegg) gave us some pleasant surprises. Despite its angular design, this device provides very high performance for a relatively low price. The settings are simple, we liked the ability to enable guest access by SSID. The router can act as an access point and is DLNA certified for streaming multimedia files.
The main weakness of the Buffalo router, in our opinion, lies in the menus, which are sometimes confusing, always unattractive, and take quite a long time to update. We liked the explanatory text in the right column of the interface, but in general, the firmware (v1.89) requires complete update(Editor's note: at the time of publication, the most recent version was 1.91, however, according to the test conditions, all devices must work with the software that was available at the time of the tests). If you doubt our conclusions, take a look at how the interface is organized on Asus and Linksys routers, and then ask yourself which approach you prefer. Finally, Buffalo operates in a 3x3:3 scheme.
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Linksys EA6500/AC1750 and Netgear R6300
Linksys EA6566/AC1750
Router Cisco Linksys EA6500($200 on the Newegg website) came into our hands along with Wi-Fi bridge WUMC710 ($150), also supporting the 802.11ac standard. Based on previous tests of the E3000 router and other Linksys models, we had high hopes for the EA6500, and in several cases they were justified. However, if you're interested in the EA6500, we recommend reading the latest customer reviews on Newegg. Some negative reviews are indeed supported by our results, while others are clearly addressed to Cisco itself.
Meanwhile, the EA6500 router has a lot of advantages. The router is capable of simultaneously operating in two bands in a 3x3:3 antenna configuration. Two USB ports allow you to share printers and connect external storage devices. DLNA provides multimedia streaming, and QoS features help prioritize specific types of traffic.
Like Asus, Cisco equips its routers with a web-based system and file streaming platform called Linksys Smart Wi-Fi. It makes it possible to change some of the router’s settings, in particular, set parameters for “parental controls”, guest access, QoS and external storage devices via a smartphone or tablet. Additionally, there are several apps (some for iOS or Android only, and some that support both systems) designed to monitor IP security cameras. network security, broadcasting multimedia files and so on.
We've already said that Cisco continues the Linksys tradition of impressing with an abundance of built-in menus and options. Extensive feature set neatly hidden in a very elegant and intuitive clear interface. Yes, as long as you're using a compatible browser. But when we tried to access the control panel through Chrome, all we saw was a Log on button and a language selection drop-down menu. Let us remind you that Chrome is now one of the most popular browsers for PCs...
Netgear R6300
And finally, the router Netgear R6300(~7800 rubles according to Yandex.Market). After the Asus and Linksys models, the R6300 router seems like just another variation on a theme, but that's only because all the major router manufacturers today produce very similar products. A premium model that features the latest Wi-Fi must have two USB ports, support 3x3:3 dual-band simultaneous operation on each band, have an easy setup process, support WPS, and have four gigabit network ports. It's all of the above, and if you like Netgear's linear trapezoidal design, then all the better.
Netgear has its own control center, the Netgear Genie, which is on par with the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi. The system supports Windows, OS X, Android and iOS. Netgear Genie provides remote network monitoring and management. Apple iOS users can also print documents to any AirPrint-compatible printer.
We were provided with two copies of the Netgear R6300, so we used the second one as a bridge for tests in the 2.4 GHz band, especially since Netgear itself advertises this router as supporting both bridge mode and access point mode. However, be prepared to wonder how to access the device after switching modes, since it is no longer visible under its original IP, and Netgear did not bother to describe this process. Our screenshots show detailed and functionally rich menus - both tabs: main and additional settings.
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Results: copying a 2 GB folder
A first look at the performance of our six competitors reveals a few interesting things. The most obvious question is: what's going on with Belkin? At first we thought it was some kind of fluke, but subsequent tests and other benchmarks confirmed our first impression. The AC1200 DB is not only inherently flawed due to its dual-antenna design, it is not even capable of operating at the level of the 802.11g standard. As we already mentioned, we contacted Belkin technical support by phone and went through all the settings, but nothing helped. Belkin is currently preparing a modified version of this router, and we hope to test it one day, but for now... consider our data an object lesson in why your wireless equipment should be well tested and why it should work in a 3x3 scheme. Alas, the AC1200 DB easily outshines many ten-year-old models with 802.11g support.
Since we're talking about the 3x3 scheme, pay attention to the AirLive router. Thanks to its antenna beam-correction circuitry, the $116 N450R achieves outstanding results in "simple" 5GHz 802.11n. When transferring data from client to server, it is even faster than the Buffalo router. Overall, the N450R is still behind all 802.11ac-enabled models (except Belkin), but not by much. When it comes to performance per dollar of price, the N450R is definitely a pleasant surprise in this environment and application, literally bringing new breath to current generation technology.
Keep in mind that this test is performed within a single room, which should theoretically reflect ideal operating conditions. However, if we go back to 802.11n and the 2.4 GHz band, the data transfer speeds will drop dramatically. Look at the difference in download speeds between Netgear: it's over 600%! What caused such radical changes? Yes, we found four to seven competing wireless networks that were present throughout the entire test, but their signal was quite weak. Moreover, AirLive actually operates in the 2.4 GHz band in a 2x2 manner, and it still manages to beat all rivals except Asus. This is absurd! As does the fact that Linksys and Netgear routers, tested twice in this test, managed to demonstrate such dubious numbers. Suffice it to say that we have strengthened confidence in engineering solutions in the Asus router and the implementation of radiation direction correction in the AirLive router.
When testing at a significant distance in the 5 GHz band, the situation changes. In the past, we've seen quite a few routers fail to perform their duties under these specific conditions. Like the Belkin router, older hardware often simply won't connect to the server. So the fact that we're comparing triple-digit results from four real-world 802.11ac competitors seems a bit uncanny. Also note how negligible the decrease in throughput is with increasing distance. We're used to seeing speeds drop by 60-80% in these circumstances, but 802.11ac routers show virtually no loss in performance, and in some cases perform even better as the distance increases.
Yes, it's great that AirLive can still provide enough bandwidth to support multiple streams of HD video, which we didn't expect at all, but its rivals are operating with figures three times larger! This graph alone makes us unequivocally recommend upgrading to 802.11ac.
The results of the remote test in the 2.4 GHz band were not surprising. Once again, Asus and AirLive are in the lead, Belkin can't connect, and the other three are lagging in the middle. A little later we will take a closer look at what happens to the integrity of the stream during data transfer on such low speeds. Hint: nothing good.
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Results: PerformanceTest 7, same room
The PerformanceTest 7 network test is somewhat similar to the IxChariot test, and it produces graphical results that are easy to compare with other benchmarks. So, in our test of TCP traffic transmission within the same room at 5 GHz, we see that Asus is slightly behind its rivals, even inferior to AirLive. Buffalo, Linksys and Netgear routers show speeds in the range of 165-180 Mbps, which is generally quite comparable to the results of our tests for transferring 2 GB of data. Asus is the only router whose performance differs noticeably in these two tests.
When switching to the UDP protocol, throughput increases sharply and then hits something of a bottleneck. Netgear R6300 is the only router that does not exceed the 600 Mbps mark.
To test our assumptions and find out why traffic speed is limited to a certain limit, we turned to the creator of the PerfomanceTest package, David Wren.
This is what he replied:
"I think this happens because the device driver accepts an unlimited amount of data, and then the portion that cannot be sent over the available channel is simply discarded. UDP was designed for applications such as video streaming and VoIP ). It’s as if you were trying to send a video with a very high resolution, but on the receiving side it would be discovered that five out of six frames did not reach it. But from the point of view of the sender, all the data was sent to its destination. In real conditions, the UDP protocol was not sent. used to transfer the maximum amount of data at the maximum speed. It is used in cases where the data must arrive on time, and there is no point in recovering (or transmitting again) lost information, since more recent data, such as the next frame of a streaming video, will arrive soon enough. You may notice that the processor bus or PCI interface bandwidth is limited to 600 Mbits per second simply to avoid sending unnecessary data."
When we asked why IxChariot's UDP traffic was so much slower than PerformanceTest 7's (as you'll soon see), Ren quickly responded that he had never used or studied IxChariot. At the same time, he made an assumption:
"From what I've read, it looks like Ixia was injected (manually) own version TCP protocol (with ACK, sliding windows and relay) over UDP. Quote: "...This datagram protocol is a subset of the functionality that in the TCP protocol ensures the reliability of receiving data..." I don’t see the point in this, and neither does anyone real life won't do this. If you need a reliable connection, you use TCP; if you need a connection that can tolerate loss, then you use UDP. If I understand their documentation correctly, they actually measure data transfer performance in two versions of TCP: the full Wincosh specification and a TCP-like protocol they wrote."
Moving on to testing with TCP traffic in the 2.4 GHz band, we again fall well below the 802.11ac level, just like in the tests with 2 GB of data transfer. The Asus router easily takes the lead, followed by the Buffalo, more than 40 percent behind. We're still having a hard time coming to terms with the 802.11n performance of these routers, as we've seen last year's models achieve better 2.4GHz results at half the price of current ones.
In a test for transmitting UDP traffic in the 2.4 GHz band, the Netgear router overcomes the 600 Mbps barrier, and overall result competitors are only slightly worse than in tests in the 5 GHz range.
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Results: PerformanceTest 7, different ends of the building
And now - tests at a considerable distance with the TCP protocol in the PerfomanceTest 7 package. Once again, the Belkin router cannot connect, which is only slightly worse than its result when testing at close range. Even with adjustments to the radiation direction, the AirLive router has difficulty coping with the load, maintaining speeds mostly around 55 Mbps and slightly higher. Asus, Buffalo and Netgear are almost three times faster, and Asus comes out on top again. The gap between Asus and Linksys is quite noticeable. As fans of the company's latest consumer routers, we're inclined to assume that Linksys rushed to release firmware for this model without getting the approval of its engineers. We hope that the next update will improve the situation.
There is nothing fundamentally new in the UDP test. The Netgear router now comes out on top, showing the margin of error in our tests to be around 5%. If this is the case, then all five working routers are statistically tied in this test.
Moving on to the remote test with TCP at 2.4 GHz, it must be reiterated that the Belkin result is completely normal for this build and any routers designed for the 802.11n protocol. All five remaining contestants deserve credit for maintaining the connection in such a challenging environment. The Linksys router finally persevered and finished second behind the Asus router, the only device to break the 100 Mbps mark in this test.
Test results with the UDP protocol all exceed 600 Mbit/s. Nothing interesting, let's move on.
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Results: PerformanceTest 7 graphs
One of our favorite features of PerformanceTest 7 is the graphs. On the previous two pages we saw the comparative results of our competitors, and now we are interested in the details of how network throughput changes during testing. Even so, we don't want to be overly pedantic and boring, so we'll only select the best examples that can illustrate the features of each model.
First, let's take a look at how distance affects the AirLive router running on the 2.4 GHz band with TCP traffic. Ideally, a straight line should be obtained, indicating that the channel capacity is not affected by interference and the data flow is continuous. As the distance increases and obstacles appear, the likelihood of seeing gaps in the graph increases. Thanks to the radiation directivity correction system, AirLive copes with the task adequately and demonstrates minimal deviations in the second graph.
Switching to the 5 GHz band with the same tests with TCP traffic, we see a completely different and less expected picture. The test with the AirLive router and server in the same room looks amazingly smooth, but at about 45 seconds after launch a sudden jump in speed is recorded. It looks like sudden shutdown some equipment that creates interference. Despite fairly static testing conditions, we encountered this rise again and again for all router models.
Leaving aside the performance jump, let's look at the results of remote tests. What looks like a decent 57.6 Mbps on our charts looks like a complete disaster here. Bandwidth jumps from almost 80 Mbps to zero. And while a quick glance at the averages suggests that this router can support HD video streaming from a distance, it's worth looking at lower limits graphic arts. This is the real assessment. If, for example, 10 or 20 Mbps is required for a smooth flow without dropping information, then this router will definitely not be able to guarantee such throughput in these conditions.
Lest anyone think we're only nitpicking the AirLive router, let's look at four graphs for TCP traffic sent through the Asus router. In the 802.11ac performance graph within the same room, we see a small spike around the first second before the connection stabilizes, then a long stable graph above 90 Mbps, then a sudden jump above 140 Mbps. When we switch to the 802.11n standard, all semblance of stability disappears. Performance fluctuates 100% in the range from 70 to 140 Mbps. Of course, from an application perspective, this is quite a workable range, but it shows how inconsistent 802.11n throughput is, even when using a router with such outstanding performance.
Returning to the 802.11ac remote tests, we again see a rapid increase in performance, followed by an impressively flat graph around 145 Mbps. The enviable consistency of this level of performance is dizzying. The 802.11n distance test shows another bump in throughput in the middle, but we again see significant performance fluctuations throughout the test. Note, however, that Asus does not make such radical leaps as we saw with AirLive: once it reaches a certain level of throughput, Asus maintains it very well.
In conclusion, let's look at the results of the other four routers under the best conditions for working with TCP traffic. Even without looking at the numbers on the y-axis, we can say that Belkin is an obvious outsider. The Buffalo router has the most stable and flawless graphics of all, but Netgear throws an interesting challenge at it. Aside from a slight warm-up hiccup, the throughput supported by the Netgear router is slightly higher than that of the Buffalo. Linksys looks much more unpredictable, but just look at those y-axis values. Numbers over 300 Mbps for TCP?
It remains a mystery why we periodically experience performance spikes. So far we've only seen spikes that set it at a higher level, but in future tests we may be able to follow these patterns over longer periods of time, such as half an hour or more. It may be that these stable regions are not so stable on a larger time scale. The surges occur in both locations, so this is not a local effect, and the connection between the router and bridge combinations is also not visible. This may have something to do with the TCP/IP stack, but we'll need more research to dig into it. In the meantime, we leave a question mark here, which we will return to next time.
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Results: IxChariot, 5 GHz test, same room
Finally, we move on to Ixia's IxChariot test, perhaps the most popular and reliable benchmark for wireless networks.
In the single-room 802.11ac TCP traffic test, the Belkin router was the only one to fail. Even the next best performer, Linksys, showed an average of 160 Mbps, which is excellent for the TCP protocol. The AirLive router continues to amaze us with speeds of 189 Mbps, thanks solely to antenna beam correction. Imagine what will happen when leading manufacturers sell out the first generation of 802.11ac routers and decide in 2013 or 2014 to equip second-generation devices with a radiation directivity correction option! Let me remind you that the high maximum throughput values of Asus, Buffalo and Netgear should be treated with caution. For example, here's what's actually happening with Asus performance on the IxChariot chart:
Do you see this sharp jump again? Of course, if we could count on a consistent average speed of 320 Mbps from Asus, then we would fall on our faces and pray for this router. However, until we find out the reason for these jumps, it is better to refrain from enthusiasm.
The situation with Netgear is almost similar. The average speed in the stable section is slightly higher than that of Asus, the amplitude of fluctuations is the same, but since the Netgear performance jump occurs later, the average throughput in this test is lower.
We have not hidden the different numbers in the graphs because they are effectively the inverse of the results in the comparison charts. For example, take the Linksys chart (see above). Yes, we can say that the average response time for this router is 0.5 seconds, but it is quite obvious that it all depends on exactly what period of time we are talking about.
If you are not yet completely confused, let's move on to testing the transmission of UDF traffic within the same room. Remember that most of the results in the PerformanceTest 7 test hit a certain limit? So, the IxChariot script for UDP traffic definitely limits the throughput, moreover, so much so that the results in UDP turned out to be lower than the results in TDP, which almost never happens.
Yes, the throughput with UDP is on average half that of TDP. However, regardless of how IxChariot limits or reduces the data flow with its scripts, all routers are still located in the exact order within this test task. And using the same rules, all four 802.11ac-enabled routers tied again.
Here we do not see such stable areas as in the TDP charts. On the other hand, the difference in the nature of regular fluctuations in productivity is clearly visible. Take a look at the graphs for the Buffalo and Linksys routers: the averages are very close, but the patterns are definitely different.
Which schedule is better? We choose Linksys. And while Buffalo is struggling stubbornly with a crushing 118 Mbps ceiling, Linksys has a solid 112 Mbps floor visible. And if we talk about prioritizing traffic in a stream, the second option will be clearly preferable.
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Results: IxChariot
Moving on to tests in the 802.11n standard and the 2.4 GHz band within the same room, we got an even stranger picture. For the first and last time, the Belkin router did not show the lowest results. While AirLive, Asus and Buffalo performed admirably, not allowing data transfer rates to drop below 50 Mbps, Linksis and Netgear dropped to 5 Mbps on several occasions. Even the Belkin router did not allow such failures. Of course, Belkin has the worst average, but we always look for good features in hardware. Since we are working with the 802.11n standard, in this case we must deal with devices based on mature and polished technology that are on an equal footing. So it's interesting to see AirLive beat out a respected brand like Buffalo and deal a crushing defeat to Linksys and Netgear. And only the Asus router managed to maintain a small lead.
In the chart showing test results with UDP traffic, we see changes in throughput compared to TDP. The performance of AirLive and Asus routers decreased slightly, while the Buffalo, Linksys, and Netgear models increased. Since Linksys has achieved a record top speed, let's take a look at its graph.
Now - about the remote test in the 802.11ac standard with TCP traffic. Once again, Belkin can't connect to the server, and AirLive is finally going downhill. See what life looks like at the bottom:
The good news is that the AirLive router was still able to transfer all 100 test records to IxChariot. The bad thing is that most of these recordings were transmitted in two throws, which were like two flashes in the dark, and the rest of the time the channel practically did not function. As for the other competitors, we're quite impressed with their results, although the Linksys was noticeably behind the other three routers. The average data transfer speed for Asus, Buffalo and Netgear was 180 Mbps, which is quite comparable to the average speed of these three in a similar test over a short distance, where it reached 240 Mbps. Only a 25% loss of throughput in such difficult conditions– this is truly an outstanding indicator.
Transmission throughput UDP data definitely lower, but it can be used in most cases. The Netgear router returns to solid performance with the best minimum speed in our table. Asus leads in average speed, but take a closer look at his graph:
Test of five 802.11ac routers | Results: iXChariot, different ends of the building, 2.4 GHz
Let's quickly go through the remote tests from 2.4 GHz - their results generally repeat what we have already observed earlier.
Once again, AirLive and Asus prove how strong they are at transporting TCP traffic, demonstrating high minimum throughput. Also, AirLive has very little difference between the minimum and maximum scores, which is good. Asus easily becomes the winner of the test, leaving its closest rival Linksys far behind.
The situation is repeated with UDP traffic. Asus is the only router we'd trust to stream high-definition video, although you can also rely on Buffalo if necessary.
The difference in signal structure between the two types of traffic can be striking. With 1000 test records sent over UDP and 100 through TCP, these graphs give a good idea of what is considered "normal" throughput for UDP. The signal when transmitting TCP traffic, on the contrary, appears unstable and changeable.
One of the great features of IxChariot is that it automatically generates reports of how many bytes of data were lost per UDP connection. Typically, this data does not affect the connection speed in any way. Do you need 200 Mbps speed if half of your data is lost along the way? It may depend on the application. So we took the results of several remote tests and compiled the data on lost bytes into separate charts.
The Belkin router shows 100% data loss because it couldn't connect to the server at that distance. And although this is technically incorrect, because there was simply no data transfer, we considered it necessary to visually present the worst-case scenario.
The difference between the 5 and 2.4 GHz bands is impressive. Now it is clearly visible that the previous generation standard in which the AirLive router operates, even with correction of the radiation direction, becomes a serious obstacle to remote data transmission. Buffalo and Linksys didn't lose a single byte on the 5GHz band, which is phenomenal.
In the 2.4 GHz band the situation is reversed. Buffalo and Netgear lose more than half of the transmitted packets, and AirLive is not too far behind them. And only Asus provides almost one hundred percent reliability. This is worth paying special attention to for those who intend to use clients in both radio bands.
Test of five 802.11ac routers | A significant step forward from 802.11n
Once again, we're going to ignore the Belkin router. Perhaps a firmware update will bring the AC1200 back from obscurity, but we're not going to wait with bated breath for that to happen.
By ranking Buffalo, Linksys and Netgear, you can choose the best results to find your favorite. In our opinion, the data obtained did not reveal a clear winner. Linksys and Netgear have a clear advantage in user interface, and we especially liked Linksys for its rich platform with support Smart applications Wi-Fi.
If you're on a budget and can't afford 802.11ac-capable client hardware, the AirLive router remains a surprisingly attractive solution. You won't find any frills here, but it's one of the best-performing mid-range devices we've ever seen. Unfortunately, this company does not sell its products in Russia, as well as the USA and some other countries.
Then we have the Asus RT-AC66U, which won our competition without even breaking a sweat. The developers of this company simply made a fundamentally different design than their competitors, and equipped it with a best-in-class set of functions. What's especially amazing is that all this is implemented in the first-generation model, which is also offered at the same price as its closest rivals. Based on all of the above, we think the RT-AC66U deserves our infrequently presented Elite award.
Model specifics aside, are we ready to give 802.11ac the green light and recommend its use and investment? Yes. It is obvious that many manufacturers still have work to do. I would like to return to this topic later and study various features new technology, in particular, the impact of channel choice on performance, the maximum channel width that can realistically be used in 802.11ac, as well as other variables that we deliberately tried not to touch. There's also the question of the standard's maximum throughput, as we observed results that may indicate limitations of the storage subsystems in our test machines. But so far, we've seen enough to say that fifth-generation Wi-Fi is ready to hit the scene.
We were hoping to see actually supported speeds in excess of 300 (or at least 200) megabits per second. This did not happen. Perhaps within a year it will be possible to achieve such indicators by shaping the radiation directivity, a larger number of antennas and other improvements. But we can live with 150 megabits per second connection in one room if along with that we get speeds of 100 to 150 Mbit/s over a significant distance and over several obstacles. It's great. When implemented correctly, 802.11ac doubles the capabilities of 802.11n. And that alone is worth paying for.
Every year we use more and more wireless devices in our daily lives. New gadgets appearing in our homes that require a broadband connection: smartphones, tablets, personal computers, game consoles, smart TVs with 4K UHD resolution, voice-activated virtual assistants and many other Internet of Things devices. During peak times, when different family members are simultaneously using devices to stream video, browse the web, and play games, the bandwidth of a typical home network may not be enough. Especially for such highly loaded networks, a new network standard, 802.11ax, was developed, with higher throughput per channel and the ability to more efficiently use the available spectrum by several clients simultaneously.
ASUS has introduced a whole line of routers that fully meet the ever-increasing requirements for home Wi-Fi networks. The ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 router provides the highest connection speeds and maximum throughput. This device will exceed the expectations of even the most demanding gamers and computer enthusiasts. The ASUS AiMesh AX6100 Home Wi-Fi System is a compact mesh networking device that distributes the signal among multiple nodes for maximum coverage in large homes. The ASUS RT-AX88U model is different high performance and wide possibilities for settings.
New models of 802.11ax routers were presented during the Computex 2018 exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan.
Set the rules of the game with the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 router
The ROG brand is renowned for its cutting-edge technology. It's no surprise that ROG engineers created the Rapture GT-AX11000, the world's first tri-band Wi-Fi router with support for the 802.11ax standard. This device is designed for the busiest networks. It has a total throughput of up to 11,000 Mbit/s (Unless otherwise stated, these are theoretical data rates. Actual performance may vary in real world conditions): up to 1148 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz frequency range and up to 4804 Mbps in each of two 5 GHz bands, one of which can be reserved exclusively for gaming devices, prohibiting all other gadgets from using this channel.
Most Wi-Fi routers offer wired Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, but the Rapture GT-AX11000 goes a step further with its 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port for significantly faster speeds. wired connection. The increased throughput also allows the system to communicate with multiple Gigabit devices simultaneously at maximum speed or use network systems NAS storage that combines different ports to increase throughput.
The adaptive QoS service, called ASUS Game Boost, analyzes network activity and by default gives priority to gaming traffic so that other bandwidth-intensive tasks, such as downloading updates, do not slow down the connection speed in multiplayer games online games. The Boost button, conveniently located right on the router's body, allows you to easily activate various functions, such as Game Boost or DFS, without even going to the web interface or mobile application.
Create a mesh network at home with the AX6100 Wi-Fi System router
All ASUS routers that support the 802.11ax standard are compatible with AiMesh mesh networking technology, which allows you to combine multiple routers into single network, but the new AiMesh AX6100 (2 x RT-AX92U) system is designed specifically for mesh networks. Consisting of two devices, this system provides extended signal coverage without leaving blind spots like some conventional routers. You can add other AiMesh-compatible routers to the created mesh network as additional nodes, even if they only support the 802.11ac standard.
Despite its small size, AiMesh AX6100 Wi-Fi is a powerful tri-band system with a peak total throughput of up to 6100 Mbps. The bulk of the traffic is transmitted in the 5 GHz frequency range of the 802.11ax standard with a throughput of 4804 Mbit/s. This range is used for high speed communication between the nodes of the cellular system. Another channel in the 5 GHz frequency range with a throughput of 866 Mbps is provided for the 802.11ac standard, and a separate band in the 2.4 GHz range with a throughput of 400 Mbps is intended for connecting older devices.
A look into the future of wireless systems with the ASUS RT-AX88U router
The ASUS RT-AX88U dual-band router is in many ways reminiscent of the top-end ROG Rapture model. Both bands support 802.11ax compliant devices. The 2.4 GHz frequency range has a throughput of up to 1148 Mbps, and the 5 GHz band has up to 4804 Mbps, the peak total throughput of the router is about 6000 Mbps.
The wireless signal is transmitted using four antennas. The IPS signal from the provider is supplied through the gigabit WAN port. Eight gigabit LAN ports are provided for wired device connection. With twice as many LAN ports as most competitors, the RT-AX88U router is ideal for wired connections to multiple computers at once, which is convenient, for example, for a small office with several workstations or for a home where the cables for connecting several desktop computers are already short. separated into rooms.
Like the ROG Tri-Band router, the RT-AX88U is powered by a powerful quad-core processor. Two USB 3.1 Gen1 ports allow you to connect peripherals such as external storage or a printer, and even connect a 4G modem to be on the safe side in case of a sudden interruption of the signal from the provider.
Common to all ASUS wireless systems
ASUS has been producing excellent routers for many years that have firmly won the trust of users. For the seventh year in a row, ASUS routers have received PCMag's Readers' Award for overall positive user experience. All new routers that support the 802.11ax standard have such important characteristics for users as ease of configuration, security, and expandability.
ASUSWRT web interface allows for fine tuning various parameters networks, and ASUS app Router – control the Wi-Fi system from a mobile device on Android and iOS. AiProtection Pro software, developed by TrendMicro, provides state-of-the-art reliable protection from online threats. Enterprise-level software package includes many useful functions, including parental controls, scanning incoming and outgoing traffic, protecting connected devices from most malware and hacker attacks.
Home networks need to grow, both in terms of adding new features and literally expanding their coverage area. AiMesh mesh networking technology simplifies both tasks by connecting compatible ASUS routers into a single network and expanding coverage. Unlike competing systems that require hardware replacement, AiMesh technology is compatible with most previously released ASUS routers. The AX6100 router is initially equipped with support for AiMesh technology, and the Rapture GT-AX11000 and RT-AX88U models will receive it after a firmware update, which will appear shortly after the release of the devices themselves.
Prices and Availability
Routers ROG Rapture GT-AX11000, Wi-Fi system AiMesh AX6100 and RT-AX88U will be available in the third quarter of 2018.
About ASUS
As one of the world's most admired companies according to Fortune magazine, ASUS offers wide range products for a comfortable digital life today and in the future, including Zenbo robots, ZenFone smartphones, ZenBook ultrabooks, high-quality computer components and peripherals, as well as innovative solutions for the Internet of Things, virtual and augmented reality. In 2017, ASUS products won 4,511 awards and the company generated sales of US$13 billion with more than 16,000 employees and over 5,000 top developers worldwide.
The IEEE 802.11 group of Wi-Fi standards has evolved quite dynamically, from IEEE 802.11a, which provided speeds up to 2 Mbit/s, through 802.11b and 802.11g, which gave speeds up to 11 Mbit/s And 54 Mbit/s respectively. Then came the 802.11n standard, or simply the n-standard. The N-standard was a real breakthrough, since now through one antenna it was possible to transmit traffic at a speed unimaginable at that time 150Mbit. This was achieved through the use of advanced coding technologies (MIMO), more careful consideration of the propagation features of RF waves, double channel width technology, a non-static guard interval defined by such a concept as the modulation index and coding schemes.
Operating principles of 802.11n
The already familiar 802.11n can be used in one of two bands: 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz. At the physical level, in addition to improved signal processing and modulation, the ability to simultaneously transmit a signal through four antennas, every time you can skip the antenna up to 150Mbit/s, i.e. This is theoretically 600Mbit. However, taking into account that the antenna simultaneously works either for reception or broadcasting, the data transmission speed in one direction will not exceed 75 Mbit/s per antenna.Multiple Input/Output (MIMO)
Support for this technology first appeared in the 802.11n standard. MIMO stands for Multiple Input Multiple Output, which in translation is multi-channel input multi-channel output.By using MIMO technologies the ability to simultaneously receive and transmit several data streams through several antennas, rather than just one, is implemented.
The 802.11n standard defines various configurations antennas from "1x1" to "4x4". Asymmetrical configurations are also possible, for example, “2x3”, where the first value means the number of transmitting, and the second the number of receiving antennas.
Obviously, the maximum transmission reception speed can only be achieved when using the “4x4” scheme. In fact, the number of antennas does not increase speed in itself, but it does allow for various advanced signal processing methods that are automatically selected and applied by the device, including based on the antenna configuration. For example, the 4x4 scheme with 64-QAM modulation provides speeds up to 600 Mbit/s, the 3x3 and 64-QAM scheme provides speeds up to 450 Mbit/s, and the 1x2 and 2x3 schemes up to 300 Mbit/s.
Channel bandwidth 40 MHz
Features of the 802.11n standard is twice the width of the 20 MHz channel, i.e. 40 MHz.Ability to support 802.11n by devices operating on 2.4GHz and 5GHz carriers. While 802.11b/g only operates at 2.4 GHz, 802.11a operates at 5 GHz. In the 2.4 GHz frequency band, only 14 channels are available for wireless networks, of which the first 13 are allowed in the CIS, with 5 MHz intervals between them. Devices using the 802.11b/g standard use 20 MHz channels. Of the 13 channels, 5 are intersecting. To avoid mutual interference between channels, it is necessary that their bands are separated by 25 MHz. Those. Only three channels on the 20 MHz band will be non-overlapping: 1, 6 and 11.802.11n operating modes
The 802.11n standard provides for operation in three modes: High Throughput (pure 802.11n), Non-High Throughput (fully compatible with 802.11b/g) and High Throughput Mixed (mixed mode).High Throughput (HT) - high throughput mode.
802.11n access points use High Throughput mode. This mode absolutely excludes compatibility with previous standards. Those. devices that do not support the n-standard will not be able to connect. Non-High Throughput (Non-HT) - mode with low throughput To allow legacy devices to connect, all frames are sent in 802.11b/g format. This mode uses a 20 MHz channel width to ensure backward compatibility. When using this mode, data is transferred at the speed supported by the slowest device connected to this access point (or Wi-Fi router).
High Throughput Mixed - mixed mode with high throughput. Mixed mode allows the device to work simultaneously on the 802.11n and 802.11b/g standards. Provides backward compatibility outdated devices, and devices using the 802.11n standard. However, while the old device is receiving and transmitting data, the older device supporting 802.11n is waiting for its turn, and this affects the speed. It is also obvious that the more traffic goes through the 802.11b/g standard, the less performance an 802.11n device can show in High Throughput Mixed mode.
Modulation Index and Coding Schemes (MCS)
The 802.11n standard defines the concept of “Modulation and Coding Scheme”. MCS is a simple integer assigned to the modulation option (there are 77 possible options in total). Each option defines the RF modulation type (Type), coding rate (Coding Rate), guard interval (Short Guard Interval), and data rate values. The combination of all these factors determines the actual physical (PHY) data transfer rate, ranging from 6.5 Mbps to 600 Mbps ( given speed can be achieved by using all possible options of the 802.11n standard).Some MCS index values are defined and shown in the following table:
Let's decipher the values of some parameters.
The short guard interval SGI (Short Guard Interval) determines the time interval between transmitted symbols. 802.11b/g devices use a guard interval of 800 ns, while 802.11n devices have the option of using a guard interval of only 400 ns. Short Guard Interval (SGI) improves data transfer rates by 11 percent. The shorter this interval, the large quantity information can be transmitted per unit of time, however, the accuracy of character definition decreases, so the developers of the standard selected optimal value this interval.
MCS values from 0 to 31 determine the type of modulation and encoding scheme that will be used for all streams. MCS values 32 to 77 describe mixed combinations that can be used to modulate two to four streams.
802.11n access points must support MCS values from 0 to 15, while 802.11n stations must support MCS values from 0 to 7. All other MCS values, including those associated with 40 MHz wide channels, Short Guard Interval (SGI) , are optional and may not be supported.
Features of AC standard
In real conditions, no standard has been able to achieve the maximum of its theoretical performance, since the signal is affected by many factors: electromagnetic interference from household appliances and electronics, obstacles in the signal path, signal reflections, and even magnetic storms. Because of this, manufacturers continue to work on creating even more effective options Wi-Fi standard, more suitable not only for home but also active office use, as well as the construction of extended networks. Thanks to this desire, quite recently, was born a new version IEEE 802.11 - 802.11ac (or simply AC standard).There are not too many fundamental differences from N in the new standard, but they are all aimed at increasing throughput wireless protocol. Basically, the developers chose to improve the advantages of the N standard. The most noticeable thing is the expansion of MIMO channels from a maximum of three to eight. This means that we will soon be able to see in stores wireless routers with eight antennas. And eight antennas is a theoretical doubling of the channel capacity to 800 Mbit/s, not to mention possible sixteen-antenna devices.
802.11abg devices operate on 20 MHz channels, while pure N uses 40 MHz channels. The new standard stipulates that AC routers have channels at 80 and 160 MHz, which means doubling and quadrupling the channel with double the width.
It is worth noting the improved implementation of MIMO technology provided in the standard - MU-MIMO technology. Older versions of the N-compliant protocols supported half-duplex packet transmission from device to device. That is, at the moment a packet is transmitted by one device, other devices can only work to receive. Accordingly, if one of the devices connects to the router using the old standard, then the others will work slower due to the increased time it takes to transmit packets to the device using the old standard. This may cause poor performance of the wireless network if there are many such devices connected to it. MU-MIMO technology solves this problem by creating a multi-stream transmission channel, when used, other devices do not wait for their turn. In the same time AC router must be backward compatible with previous standards.
However, of course, there is a fly in the ointment. Currently, the vast majority of laptops, tablets, and smartphones do not support not only the AC Wi-Fi standard, but are not even able to work on the 5 GHz carrier. Those. and 802.11n at 5GHz is not available to them. Also themselves AC routers and access points can be several times more expensive than routers designed to use the 802.11n standard.
802.11ac routers- this is 3 times higher speed and wider range of action. In this article I will talk about the benefits of the new wi-fi standard and how to make the transition to the new wireless technology.
Streaming video over a wireless network has always been a problem, having to wait for the video to load into the buffer, especially as the distance between the router and the client increases. Get real comfort playing video over a wireless network The new 802.11 ac standard will help. It has increased network range thanks to the use of intelligent data transmission technologies. Plus, sharing files on a network based on the 802.11 ac standard? becomes more efficient, since wider channels are used for their transmission, which will allow obtaining a theoretical throughput of 1.3 Gbit/s. In practice, the speed will be 500-600 Mbit/s, which is close in capacity to a gigabit wired network. You will be able to transmit several HD video streams simultaneously over the air without any problems. The most interesting thing is that high throughput rates are maintained with an obstacle of 2 walls.
Advantages of 802.11 AC Wi-Fi Routers
I would like to note right away that the 802.11 ac standard remains backward compatible. When developing a new wireless communication standard, the main goal was to increase throughput, thereby we received:
- more efficient signal radiation in space
- transmission of more information in one clock cycle (modulation methods have been changed).
- frequency used - 5 GHz
Changing the frequency will not be a revelation for many, since dual-frequency routers have been on sale for a long time. Frequency 5 GHz, on which the 802.11 ac wireless network operates, has made it possible to achieve high throughput, since this frequency range provides a larger number of effective channels of greater width. In addition, the range is less busy compared to the 2.4-GHz band. It is used by all wi-fi routers of the 802.11 n/g standard, as well as cordless phones, baby monitors and microwaves. Thus, on routers operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency range it is difficult to achieve the maximum possible throughput.
In its turn, 802.11ac routers use the almost completely free frequency range of 5 GHz. It is true that devices operating in this range are more susceptible to the influence of walls and ceilings than devices in the 2.4 GHz range, but in practice they operate effectively even in the presence of concrete obstacles, thanks to the ability to specifically radiate their signal to the client device.
More frequency means more speed of the router
802.11ac wireless network operates at 5 GHz, while previous generation devices typically use 2.4 GHz. As you know, with each oscillation a certain amount of information is transmitted - that is why the 802.11 ac standard provides higher throughput.
Wider channels - wider wireless network capacity
The 2.4 GHz band has a wireless bandwidth of 80 MHz, while the 5 GHz band covers approximately 380 MHz. As a result, we have an increased number of channels of greater width, providing much higher data transfer rates.
Efficiently connect to clients on a wireless network
In the 802.11n standard, data transmission occurs using MIMO technologies(Multiple Input, Multiple Output) into multiple threads, which increases throughput. In turn, 802.11 ac routers use MU-MIMO technology(Multiple User MIMO), which allows them to communicate effectively with multiple devices.
Fast MIMO technology
The 5 GHz band has 10 times more bandwidth than its 2.4 GHz predecessor. In an 802.11 ac wireless network, a larger number of channels (fixed frequencies) are available, located at a specific distance from each other. The increased number of channels opens up greater opportunities to avoid interference.
The new standard optimizes the interaction of the router with several client devices. 802.11n equipment emits one signal evenly in all directions to all clients in the premises. As a result, a device on the network communicates with the router for a certain period of time, which limits the throughput. Thanks to the above-described MU-MIMO (MultiUser MIMO) technology, an 802.11 ac router determines the client’s position on the network and purposefully transmits several data streams to this device simultaneously. This is being carried out Beamforming technology(formation of a directional signal).
The essence of this technology: the router, changing the signal components for each of its multidirectional antennas, strengthens the signal towards the client, and weakens it towards the opposite direction. In this case, the effect of constructive and destructive interference is applied. The 80211 ac standard router with 8 antennas is capable of effectively communicating with 4 different devices, each of which is equipped with 2 antennas. It is worth noting that support Beamforming is also available in the 802.11 n standard, but due to the lack of generally accepted standards, the technology only works between the router and wi-fi adapters one manufacturer.
More information transfer volume per clock cycle
Wireless network of the new standard has excellent throughput. For example, the data transfer speed between two D-Link DIR-865L devices configured as a router and a client reached 553 Mbit/s. Believe me, this is enough to broadcast 5 Full HD video streams simultaneously. Just imagine, copying a 1.5GB movie in 18 seconds. Expensive high-performance 802.11 n routers are also inferior to the new standard.
Walls are no obstacle for 802.11ac
Routers operating in the 5 GHz band without problems transmit data over a distance of more than 10 m with one concrete and one plasterboard wall, taking into account interference in the form of other people's wireless networks. No one hides the fact that the waves of the 80211 ac wireless network are more susceptible to the influence of various obstacles in the signal path than the 2.4 GHz range, but in practice Beamforming technology proves the opposite. Take the ASUS RT-AC66U, which perfectly transmits signals through walls at speeds of over 350 Mbps.
Transition to the 802.11AC standard | Practical use
With 802.11ac routers that are backward compatible with previous standards, you can significantly increase home network bandwidth. Yes, there are a sufficient number of routers on the market based on 802.11 ac technology, but other network equipment that supports the new standard is still rare. A wireless network bridge is currently available in online stores Buffalo AirStation 1300 Gigabit Dual Band Media. You can choose from the available routers 2 identical models, one of which can be configured as a router, and the other as a bridge. This combination will allow you to organize a high-speed network bridge supporting the 802.11 ac standard. A Wi-Fi router can be placed next to a dedicated line outlet and the necessary devices can be connected to it via wired and wireless communications. And in the living room you can install a network bridge or a second router configured to operate in bridge mode and connect to the first router via a high-speed 802.11 ac wireless network. These devices will provide network access for TV and/or NTRS via wired connection. As a result, you will be able, for example, to watch HD movies on your living room TV. network storage(NAS) in the office, or copy TV shows from the receiver to the computer in the workroom at 802.11 ac speed.
