STBC flag in wireless log

[ikoul]

A few firmware revisions ago, Asus added flags to the wireless log part of the firmware (System Log -> Wireless Log).

I've noticed some people posting their logs and seeing the STBC flag marked. I've tried looking up what STBC does and it seems like it's related to MIMO.

I think I've seen the flag set when people are using two of the routers in media bridge mode, but I know I've never seen it set with any of my clients (including the PCE-AC68, which should theoretically support everything the RT-AC68U does).

So I guess what I want to know is, has anyone seen this flag set (and if so, what client are you using)?

Also, if anyone has a good understanding of what STBC is and can explain it in a simple way that could be helpful.

 

[icece]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space–time_block_code

All of my devices, except the XO, support that feature.

 

[maylyn]

A few firmware revisions ago, Asus added flags to the wireless log part of the firmware (System Log -> Wireless Log).

I've noticed some people posting their logs and seeing the STBC flag marked. I've tried looking up what STBC does and it seems like it's related to MIMO.

I think I've seen the flag set when people are using two of the routers in media bridge mode, but I know I've never seen it set with any of my clients (including the PCE-AC68, which should theoretically support everything the RT-AC68U does).

So I guess what I want to know is, has anyone seen this flag set (and if so, what client are you using)?

Also, if anyone has a good understanding of what STBC is and can explain it in a simple way that could be helpful.

Space-Time Block Coding. ~ A method of transmitting a single data stream across multiple antennas for additional transmission redundancy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space–time_block_code

 

[sfx2000]

A few firmware revisions ago, Asus added flags to the wireless log part of the firmware (System Log -> Wireless Log).

I've noticed some people posting their logs and seeing the STBC flag marked. I've tried looking up what STBC does and it seems like it's related to MIMO.

I think I've seen the flag set when people are using two of the routers in media bridge mode, but I know I've never seen it set with any of my clients (including the PCE-AC68, which should theoretically support everything the RT-AC68U does).

So I guess what I want to know is, has anyone seen this flag set (and if so, what client are you using)?

Also, if anyone has a good understanding of what STBC is and can explain it in a simple way that could be helpful.

Space Time Block Codes - essential for MIMO - at a very high level, it's splitting the bits across your radio chains with some pre-coding - this is how you get one than one Spatial Stream - your receiver puts this all back together as a coherent stream...

Better bandwidth as we stuff two/three times the number of symbols into the transmit stream - and better receive performance as this increases the amount of signalling gain - about 2-3 times worth - like putting a larger antenna on both your AP and Laptop...

 

[ikoul]

I appreciate the willingness to be helpful with the wikipedia links, but I did google what it was before I posted. I just wanted a less mathematical explanation.

Anyway, I'm more interested in whether you guys are seeing it in your wireless log and what clients you're seeing it on.

 

[icece]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space–time_block_code

All of my devices, except the XO, support that feature.

Space–time block coding*is a technique used in*wireless communications*to transmit multiple copies of a data stream across a number of*antennas*and to exploit the various received versions of the data to improve the reliability of data-transfer. The fact that the transmitted signal must traverse a potentially difficult environment with*scattering,reflection,*refraction*and so on and may then be further corrupted by*thermal noise*in thereceiver*means that some of the received copies of the data will be 'better' than others. This redundancy results in a higher chance of being able to use one or more of the received copies to correctly decode the received signal. In fact,*space–time codingcombines*all*the copies of the received signal in an optimal way to extract as much information from each of them as possible.

 

[ikoul]

Thanks icece, but here's a more direct question:

What does "all of my devices" mean when you say all of yours support it except for one? What kind of devices do you have?

The reason I ask is that I've never seen the flag set, with any of my clients, and I figured at the very least Asus' own high end one would support the feature.

 

[icece]

Here we go:

One 2011 mobile phone device from Sony, one older Dlink router (WRT DD as a wireless client) and the brand new Xbox One (at 5GHz) doesn't support this feature.

All other devices from 2013 support STBC (2.4/5GHz-WLAN-Stick[2012 chipset and driver], different Android Tablets, Laptops, Wireless Repeater etc.)

With respect to the Xbox One, I would say that the feature is simply not been activated yet.