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What is 802.11ac and why should i upgrade to it?

Recently we’ve been hearing an uproar of praise for the newest Wi-Fi advance – 802.11ac wireless routers.  This week we set our minds to finding out whether we need to be recommending this new upgrade and what advantages it may have to our clients.

802.11 is nothing new.  Pretty much every model of router made within the last 5 years will be part of this family and most routers support 802.11n.  This wireless standard was introduced in 2007 as an upgrade on the 802.11g which was standard at the time.  It can transfer around 56 Megabytes per second and has long been considered the sufficient standard.  Until now.

802.11ac looks to be the newest contender providing double the throughput of the 802.11n.  Of course, on paper is seems like a better deal offering much speedier access.  However, we’ve been doing some research and we’re not so sure that it’s essential to buy a 802.11ac router just yet.

For starters, most people simply don’t need the speed and throughput that it provides.  The 56 megabytes of the 802.11n is sufficient for most households and we think in most cases the upgrade to an 802.11ac is a little excessive.  Not to mention, most devices don’t support the latest model yet so you could struggle to see the benefits unless you upgrade your device as well which can be expensive and as we mentioned before, pretty pointless.

Overall, the upgrade is an exciting moment for the world of Wi-Fi however we’re not so sure you need to be ditching the classic 802.11n routers just yet!

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IoT’s uncoded

This week we’re asking what exactly is the new cultural phenomenon known as the ‘Internet of Things’ and how it will affect our industry.  The Internet of Things refers to the interconnection of computer devices in everyday objects which enables them to send and receive data – think Fitbit’s and Amazon Echo.  We’ve recently read some rather incredible stats about the Internet of Things:

According to Cisco, the number of connected devices will rise from 15 to 50 billion by 2020 and in 2019 it is estimated that 245 Million wearable devices will be sold (smartwatches, Fitbits, etc.)

Clearly, this growth is going to have a massive impact on the industry and create opportunities. Wi-Fi is essential to the proper functioning of the Internet of Things, however as there is currently no standardised technology we are seeing competition between technologies (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee etc.)  Whist the emergence of these new devices presents many opportunities, there will inevitably be challenges to networks as they become crowded and stressed.

Not only does overcrowding present itself as an issue for the Internet of Things there are questions surrounding the security of such devices.  These new data points are collecting masses of information from their subjects, collecting personal information that may be shared between third-parties (other apps etc.)

Overall, the Internet of Things presents new and exciting opportunities for us geeks working with Wi-Fi, but it seems that it may come at a price as we see the number of devices increase.  Still, we are excited by the prospect of this new technology and the opportunities it may bring to the market in the future.

 

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Pretty fly for a Wi-Fi

This week Quantas have announced free in-flight Wi-Fi services on all domestic trips and are even offering free Netflix and Spotify on their flights. In-flight Wi-Fi is becoming more and more popular, proving the power of connection and the necessity of Wi-Fi access. Even at 35,000 feet connection is essential & in this blog post we want to find out exactly how in-flight Wi-Fi works.

The first way that signal can reach you is through ground-based broadband towers. Effectively this method allows your device to hop from tower to tower as it travels over them. Signal is sent to the aircraft’s antennas and voila! However, this is far from foolproof and problems can occur when passing over large volumes of water where no mobile broadband towers exist. Obviously whilst flying this happens a lot. Luckily though, there is another way for signal to reach your device.

The second way is considered more effective and involves satellite technology. Far, far away in geostationary orbit sit satellites that send and receive information. They bounce signal from satellites to Earth and back again. The aircraft’s antenna then connects to these satellites and connects the aircraft to the closest signal that it can find. An on-board router then manipulates the signal and ensures that passengers receive Wi-Fi signal on their devices.

So there you have it – the mystery of in-flight Wi-Fi solved!

Staying connected is more important than ever and we are always looking to work with businesses to create effective solutions to Wi-Fi problems.

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