Not all Wi-Fi are created equal. The trusty old 802.11n wireless will soon run out and be replaced by the now dominant 802.11ac wireless, which has now become a standard among modern electronic devices. And while the old Wireless N is still a reliable Wi-Fi, people are already considering the benefits of upgrading to the newest version.
So, the important question here is: why should you jump from Wireless N to Wireless AC? We give you five reasons below. Check it out.
1. Wireless N will soon run out
Wireless AC is fast becoming the minimum for motherboards, add-on Wi-Fi cards, laptops, smartphones, and IoT devices. With a new Wi-Fi standard in the horizon, Wireless N is already seeing its final days as the basic requirement for wireless devices.
2. Wireless AC offers backward compatibility
Introduced in 2013, IEEE 802.11ac (also known as Wireless AC) offers backward compatibility. This means devices with legacy wireless standards such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and of course, 802.11n can still connect to Wireless AC routers.
3. Higher throughputs for Wireless AC
Having been in the market for quite a while now, 802.11ac already has numerous figures available for its speed. Wireless AC offers higher throughput value compared to its previous iterations. This allows end users to utilize their networks for large file transfers as this will lessen wait times for a transfer to complete.
4. Wireless AC comes with Beamforming technology
Digital Beamforming technology is part of the 802.11ac standard. Older wireless routers are omni-directional, which means they send signal to all directions. As a result this decreases the signal strength delivered to your devices. With Beamforming tech, the router can intensify the signal going to a connected device.
5. Extend signal reach on Wireless AC
The 802.11ac standard thrives in the 5GHz band, which means users can get higher bandwidth at further distances. If you compare the speeds of Wireless N and AC at the same distances, you will find that the 5GHz band on Wireless AC is up to three times faster than on the older WiFi standard.
Bandwidth-eating devices such as gaming desktops and laptops are recommended to connect to the 5GHz band. Hi-res TVs connected to a 5GHz band on an 802.11ac router have buffer-free experience when streaming video content to a 4K resolution display.
Moreover, the 5GHz band also declutters your wireless network as it has a greater number of channels to operate in. It is unlike the 2.4GHz, which is widely used by electronics and prone to interference that may lead to signal degradation and/or reduced peak speeds.
You can get all the benefit above from the latest ASUS AC routers available in the market today. Here are the recommended wireless routers that you can get, depending on your needs and requirements.
| MODEL | NETWORK STANDARD | SIGNAL COVERAGE | NO. OF USERS |
|---|---|---|---|
| RT-AC53 | AC750 Dual Band | Small House | 10-15 |
| RT-AC1300UHP | AC1300 Dual Band Hi-Powered | Small House | 15-20 |
| RT-AC68U | AC1900 Dual Banc | Medium House | 40-50 |
| RT-AC68U | AC2900 Dual Band | Medium House | 40-50 |
| Lyra Trio | AC1750 Dual Band | Large House | 60-70 |
| RT-AC88U | AC3100 Dual Band | Very Large House | 60-70 |
| GT-AC5300 | AC5330 Tri-Band | Very Large House | 60-80 |
