Zap In 5 GHz, Average
Switching to the 5 GHz band, we notice two things immediately. First, Aruba has a pulse! The AP125 handily blows past Cisco at close quarters. More importantly, though, both Ruckus and Aruba show 5 GHz numbers that are double the throughput seen on 2.4 GHz. So if you have a choice with your config, give 5 GHz a try, or at least do the throughput comparison. You may be stunned.
Life looks the same in locations 2 and 3, with Aruba still outpacing Cisco and the latter showing no benefit at all from its on-chip beamforming.
Finally, in our location 4 fortress of solitude, Cisco beamforming shows some utility, just nudging past Aruba’s non-beamforming results. Ruckus still easily kicks dust in the others’ faces.
And here’s the kicker. Down in location 5, Aruba clings by a thread to 0.1 Mbps. Cisco can’t find a connection at all. Ruckus still nearly holds 25 Mbps. If ever there was a case for a technology to adopt in long-distance scenarios, this is it. Also, harkening back to an earlier point, now you start to see why Ruckus thinks BeamFlex can cover a large space with considerably fewer APs than alternative technologies.
