Why Smart Antenna is the Best Solution for High Density Wireless Networks


    As the number of devices connected to the wireless network grows, so does the amount of content that Wi-Fi users work with, so does the load on the network itself, which may cause its performance and throughput to drop. It would seem that to fix this problem it’s enough to install additional access points ...

    However, increasing the density of points creates new problems, because if the same channel is used for several connections, they will interfere with each other. Although often multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) and beamforming technologies are advertised as a solution to eliminating signal overlapping, in practice the effect of their use is negligible except for use under ideal conditions.


    To overcome the natural limitations of the available channels and frequency ranges, you need to find other ways to improve speed and ensure the stability of wireless connections.

    People came up with smart antenna technology that implements a fundamentally new approach. From the hundreds of available signal patterns, the smart antenna selects the one that is best suited for connecting the client device to the antenna at the moment. The analysis of external conditions and the selection of the optimal diagram is repeated at intervals of tenths of a second, and as a result, users who move with their mobile devices always have a fast and reliable wireless network. At the same time, the imposition of connections is minimized, since each connection uses its own signal radiation pattern, which ensures maximum performance.


    Wireless coverage is also a challenge for many organizations that are actively using Wi-Fi, and they often have to compromise between coverage and network capacity. To improve performance, you can add access points to the network, but then to prevent signal overlap, you will have to reduce the power of their transmitters and as a result, the network coverage will become less. A smart antenna allows you to solve this problem and using this technology you can increase the network capacity without reducing its coverage.

    Smart antenna technology also works independently of client devices, so it can be used to connect with both the latest smartphone and legacy laptop. At the same time, the application of beamforming technology requires that the client device also support it, and currently only 20% of wireless devices are released with beamforming support.

    So far, only some vendors use smart antenna technology in their products. Although equipment with smart antennas is more expensive than standard equipment, prices from manufacturer to manufacturer vary and you can find a very reasonable option.

    The use of smart antenna technology significantly improves the work of wireless users, especially with a high density of client devices, for example, in hotels, conference centers, exhibition centers and universities. Any organization that actively uses Wi-Fi will benefit from the use of smart antennas, especially in those places where there are usually many constantly moving users with several wireless devices. This innovative technology should pay particular attention to those companies that are faced with the problem of the high density of client devices in their wireless network.


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