In the first comprehensive open air testing conducting for the 802.11n products by Tom’s Hardware, a reputed Internet based resource for impartial reviews, news and intelligence about latest technological developments; it was revealed that Ruckus Wireless emerged on top ahead of competitors Cisco (News - Alert) and Aruba.
All the tested 802.11n products were subjected to rigorous testing on both range and performance parameters and were spread across five multiple locations. In all these tests the Ruckus ZoneFlex 802.11n Smart WLAN system showed good throughput advantages between 36 and 180 Mbps as compared to similar offerings from Cisco and Aruba. Cisco’s latest offering, its chip based beam forming technology, was also included in the purview of the tests. Tom Hardware believed that the on-antenna beam forming approach taken by Ruckus could inspire the” next wave of wireless networking designs."
In most wireless LAN tests access points are put together in a controlled RF unit and the antennae are removed so that any inconsistencies in test reports which may be due to deflections in the environment are ironed out. This is the first all-out review of 802.11n tests which have been conducted in an open environment, outside the traditional RF chamber, and exposed to the impediments, interference and distances of a real world. The industry trusted IxChariot test tool was used to simulate real world conditions.
The main products evaluated were the Aruba AP 125 and the Aruba 3200 controller, the Ruckus ZoneFlex 7962 AP and ZoneDirector 1006 controller and the Cisco Aironet AIR-LAP 1142n AP and Cisco 4402 controller. In order to replicate an open air environment, Tom’s Hardware evaluated both UDP (News - Alert) and TCP parameters with respect to wireless performance in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies at five different sites and at different elevations, ranging from 10 to 105 feet.
In both tests the Ruckus ZoneFlex showed marked advantages over its competitors. In the nearest site the Ruckus ZoneFlex supplied TCP/UDP parameters between 133 and 236 Mbps within the 5 GHz bandwidth; this was 95-180 percent faster than the next best result.
In the 2.4GHz band results were of 67 and 134 Mbps for TCP and UDP which was again 27-95 percent faster than the closest competitor. The differences were more significant as the distances between the AP and client increased. Even in the farthest location and with the obstruction of six walls, Ruckus provided a performance which was 58 percent to 116 percent better in the 5 GHz band category and 77 percent to110 percent better in the 2.5 GHz category. Video grade testing produced more magnified performance variations.
The testing also involved the video-grade throughput a user would receive 99.5 percent of the time considering its relevance in applications that require relentless bandwidth like voice and video. IT managers can also understand how their WLAN will hold up in ‘near worst’ cases.
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Carolyn John is a Contributor to TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please columnist page.
Edited by Tim Gray
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