Background
(You can skip this section if you don't care why I am doing this)
Recently, I've been going through a journey/hobby/fun of choosing potential new WiFi setup for my home. In the past I had thought the same WiFi generation and MIMO supports, the only primary difference between different APs are WiFi Efficiency when testing maximum throughput in the close proximity. Basically, I thought there can't be that much of difference between consumer vs. prosumer vs. enterprise gears from this perspective.
However, comparing prosumer gear to enterprise gear, I was surprised some of the notable difference in measurable performance. One of the such difference was "rise time", which is basically equivalent of zero to sixty or acceleration time in cars.
So I am now very curious, if this was just between the two brands I compared or it carries over to the other brands.
Data requested
- Brand/model of AP and client:
- Very first iPerf throughput #:
- Average iPerf throughput #:
- Was the first throughput point, your minimum? Yes or No
I am especially interested Aruba Instant On, TP Link Omada and Meraki Go, ideally WiFi 6 models as that's what I've been testing. Other brands and other generation APs are also welcome.
Test Setup
- AP to client: <5ft, full line of sight to AP
- Ideally, 5GHz radio with 80 MHz channel width (as that was my test condition)
- Ideally 2x2 MIMO client
- iPerf setting: 2 streams, 30 seconds
- Please try couple times to make sure the numbers are relatively consistent to avoid roaming, other network traffic effect.
Thank you in advance
Technically, it's somewhat expected as Airtime is shared so one at a time, and if one of your client is slower, you have to wait for that one to finish.
So more using, more you lose the speed is a norm.
Now can you do better? The answer is yes. That's why there are expensive routers with better QoS, or high density prosumer/enterprise access points to handle multiple connection better.