Ruckus Ships 3-Stream 802.11ac WiFi Access Point
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The Ruckus ZoneFlex R700
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Ruckus Wireless has started shipping a new dual-band, three-stream 802.11ac access point. Unlike other 802.11ac APs, which are often software-upgraded 802.11n APs, the Ruckus ZoneFlex R700 was "specifically designed from the ground up [for] ... the new 802.11ac standard," according to the company.
The ZoneFlex R700 offers dual-stream operation (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and uses six antenna arrays — one per band — to help maintain fast throughput by directing traffic "automatically ... over the fastest signal paths for each client," according to Ruckus. Other features include:
- Backward compatibility with 802.11 devices;
- Support for 802.3af power over Ethernet;
- BeamFlex+ technology, designed to "automatically select, on a per packet basis, from thousands of potential directional antenna patterns, transmitting and receiving traffic using horizontally and vertically polarized radio waves for more reliable WiFi connections to low-powered handheld devices, such as smart phones and tablets, that are constantly changing their orientation"; and
- ChannelFly channel selection technology.
The video below, from Ruckus, details the R700.
The ZoneFlex R700 is available now for $1,295. However, through a special program, Ruckus customers who purchased the ZoneFlex 7363, 7372, 7982 or 7962 between last May and now can purchase the ZoneFlex R700 for $499 per AP. (Customers can also keep their old 802.11n APs.) The offer is available through June.