WLAN AC - what is it? Explained in a simple & understandable way
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WLAN AC is a WLAN standard that enables particularly fast transmission. In this article, we explain the benefits of this WLAN standard exactly.
What is WiFi AC? A simple explanation
WLAN 802.11ac is a WLAN standard that enables high transmission rates.
- WLAN AC (IEEE 802.11ac) is the successor to the WLAN-N standard (IEEE 802.11n). Sounds complicated, but simply means: further development and therefore faster WiFi.
- Data can be transferred wirelessly from the router to a PC, smartphone or tablet via WLAN. With large files, a high transfer speed is of course better.
- With WLAN N (the predecessor of WLAN AC), transmission rates of up to 150 Mbit / s were possible. By using several antennas on the router, the speed can also be doubled or tripled. This speed is more than sufficient for streaming films or surfing the Internet.
- For example, more speed is required in companies to transfer large amounts of data. A router with the new WLAN AC standard achieves up to 1, 300 Mbit / s per antenna. However, if 100 computers are connected to the Internet at the same time, then theoretically "only" 13 Mbit / s are available to everyone. But even that is enough.
- Another innovation that the AC standard brings with it is the use of the 5 GHz band. You can read more about this in the next paragraph.
WLAN AC: New standard uses 5 GHz band
Data transmission takes place in WLAN networks via so-called frequency bands. WLAN routers normally use the 2.4 GHz band. Since WLAN N, the 5 GHz band can also be used for data transmission.
- With the WLAN-N standard, up to 450 Mbit / s can be achieved with three radio antennas. This means that the maximum transmission rate in the 2.4 GHz band has been reached.
- In densely populated areas, there are often multiple routers in the immediate vicinity. The frequencies overlap and the transmission rates are limited.
- That is why WLAN-N routers also use the 5 GHz band. WLAN-N routers are often dual-band capable and can operate both frequency bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) at the same time. A router with three antennas can achieve up to 900 Mbit / s.
- The new WLAN AC standard also uses the 5 GHz band. This enables transmission rates of up to 1, 300 Mbit / s to be achieved. This is roughly three times the speed of an ordinary WLAN-N router.
Further advantages of WLAN AC
In addition to the maximum transmission speed, the focus was also on the range. With WLAN AC you can expand your WLAN network over a larger area.
- This is mainly due to the fact that WLAN AC is less susceptible to interference. Other radio devices such as cordless telephones or microwaves disturb the network, but WLAN AC knows how to handle it better.
- Beamforming is also used. The router can use localized signals to locate the connected devices, for example the laptop, and then radiate the WLAN in precisely this direction.
In order to use the WLAN-AC standard, your computer must support the new technology. We will show you how to retrofit WLAN AC on a PC or notebook.