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VeriWave First to Demonstrate 300 Mbps Data Rate With 802.11n 3x3 MIMO Technology
(Market Wire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) PORTLAND, OR, March 17 / MARKET WIRE/ --
VeriWave, the leading provider of wireless LAN
(WLAN) performance testing, is introducing the first test solution for
full-rate 802.11n 3x3 MIMO. In debuting Release 3.2 of its WaveTest
software, VeriWave demonstrated that sustained data rates of over 300 Mbps
are achievable and benchmarked the impact of design options currently
facing vendors as they develop the next generation of higher-speed access
points.
"VeriWave has the only test solution on the market that can transmit and
receive at true MIMO 3x3 speeds," says Eran Karoly, VeriWave's vice
president of marketing. "To prove high-speed, error-free, data transfer of
new 802.11n 3x3 MIMO devices, an objective test tool needs to be available.
With our new version 3.2, we make this test tool a reality. It is the only
way 802.11n manufacturers can verify the performance of their devices."
VeriWave's WaveTest platform lets testers generate client traffic while
varying traffic conditions, thus measuring the functionality and
performance of their designs, and qualifying how these designs will perform
in real world conditions. As no APs supporting 3x3 MIMO operation were
commercially available at the time of testing, the data rates of 300 Mbps
were achieved by using the VeriWave system in back-to-back mode, i.e. the
VeriWave system was used to generate the client traffic as well as the
server traffic.
As part of its ongoing industry updates on the progress of
802.11n-compliant products, VeriWave performed extensive tests on existing
APs that analyzed the impact of various design options currently available
to vendors as they develop the next generation of higher-speed access
points. Detailed results are available at:
http://www.veriwave.com/gurus/release_3.2_results.asp.
Areas for Advancement Identified
"Our tests show that achieving sustained data rates greater than 150 Mbps
using the 802.11n technology is in fact achievable," says Tom Alexander,
VeriWave's Chief Technology Officer. "Our results also show that the
current generation of APs shipping has a ways to go in achieving the
theoretical maximum promised by this standard, which stands at over 350
Mbps. To that end, we explored some of the implementation choices available
to vendors today, and believe this sort of testing can speed the
introduction of new equipment that takes full advantage of the standard."
Tests on existing Access Points conducted using Release 3.2 highlighted
critical performance issues:
-- Co-existence remains an issue: The co-existence of various types of
equipment has tremendous effect on the overall quality and capacity of the
deployed network. Adding 802.11a/g clients to an 802.11n network severely
challenges today's APs with theoretical performance dropping 50%, from
approximately 225 Mbps to roughly 125 Mbps and actual performance dropping
as much as 75%. Similarly, issues remain for 20MHz / 40MHz coexistence also
leading to 50% performance drops;
-- 3 x 3 MIMO significantly improves performance: Sustained data rates of
over 300 Mbps are possible as measured by the VeriWave test equipment in
back-to-back operation. However, as no commercially available enterprise-
class and consumer-class APs support true 3x3 MIMO operation, measured data
rates of these APs tops off at just over 160 Mbps;
-- All enhancements specified by the IEEE standard must be implemented:
In particular, VeriWave's testing determined that AMPDU aggregation, 40 MHz
channels and Short Guard Intervals must be implemented to keep frame
overhead from limiting performance. Without these enhancements, one of two
enterprise-class 802.11n APs tested was not even able to sustain legacy
802.11g rates;
-- As expected, 40MHz channels double capacity over 20MHz channels
enabling sustained MAC data rates of approximately 250 Mbps. To date,
enterprise-class APs have not yet fully realized this benefit;
-- Using Long Guard Interval in Short Guard Interval networks has little
effect: Mixing long and short guard intervals results in "in-between"
aggregate throughput, but current enterprise-class APs cannot take full
advantage of this yet.
Going forward, VeriWave's latest round of tests explored critical design
decisions currently facing AP developers:
-- AMPDU aggregation boosts throughput by a factor of 3: VeriWave's
testing determined that AMPDU aggregation enables peak rates greater than
100 Mbps with 20 MHz channels and 2x2 MIMO operation;
-- Short Guard Interval increases efficiency but only incrementally: With
large frames, a slight gain from shortening the Guard Interval between
symbols from 800 to 400nSec is noticeable with data throughput increasing
from 242 Mbps to 266 Mbps.
VeriWave shared these and other results during a recent Webinar, the third
in an ongoing series on the evolution of 802.11n. The Webinar content can
be viewed at http://www.veriwave.com/gurus/webinararchive.asp. To receive
more information on the next installment in the Webinar series, please
e-mail your request to info@veriwave.com.
Availability
Release 3.2 of the 802.11n WaveTest software is currently shipping.
About VeriWave
VeriWave is the leading provider of test systems for performance analysis
of wireless local area network (WLAN) products. VeriWave's products are
used by equipment manufacturers to accurately analyze the performance of
their products, as well as by carriers and enterprise users to make the
right choice when selecting WLAN equipment for deployment in their
networks. For more information about VeriWave, call (503) 473-8350, or go
to www.veriwave.com
Editorial contacts:
Ally Entin
VeriWave Inc.
(818) 889-2075Email Contact
Liza Kurtz
VeriWave, Inc.
(928) 282-6929Email Contact
Copyright ? 2008 Market Wire, Incorporated
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