Is Your Network (Wi-Fi) Prepared and Ready For Everyone To Stream Videos?

Is your Wi-Fi ready for streaming video? Learn about the latest 802.11ac access point performance test and find out how leading vendors stack up.

What do instruction manuals, classrooms, and corporate meetings have in common? The answer is video. Video has become a common way to consume learning content, with many users preferring it over more traditional, written material. In the enterprise, wireless video conferencing is an everyday occurrence thanks to the popularity of tools such as Skype. Video extends to other use cases as well, such as surveillance. According to a recent report[1], global IP video traffic is expected to grow threefold from 2016 to 2021. Much of this video will be transmitted over Wi-Fi. Is your network ready? Devin Akin, CEO of Divergent Dynamics (http://divdyn.com) and a recognized independent industry expert, recently validated a series of performance benchmark tests focused on video and its performance in a dense client environment with simultaneous video and data transmission. In other words, a network that looks a lot like yours. The AP line-up consisted of the Ruckus R610 and five other comparable mid-range 802.11ac APs from competitors. The tests were straightforward: observe how many stall-free video streams could be supported by each AP. A mixture of devices was used, some running video and others downloading data. But the key criteria for each test was the same: how many stall-free video streams could the AP deliver under stress. The results speak for themselves. In each scenario tested, there was only one AP that could successfully deliver all video traffic under every condition: the Ruckus R610.   [1] Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2016–2021 White Paper Ruckus Benchmark Graph These tests, and their results, are important for many reasons that most IT organizations will recognize:
  • Video (and voice) are critical applications that require a high quality of experience (QoE) to ensure end users are able to easily and reliably connect and use Wi-Fi for data, voice, and video needs
  • IT organizations need to scale network performance beyond simple data throughput in a way that is easy to implement without requiring days or weeks of fine tuning and troubleshooting
  • Voice and video demands on the wireless network will only increase for the foreseeable future
  Get a full report with a description of test conditions, equipment used, and detailed results and analysis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFgrsjYnQe0