azazel1024
Very Senior Member
Yup, I had seen your original test, which is part of the reason why I wanted to test it with my Intel 7260ac and AC1750 router.
I don't have a way to toggle it on and off (beamforming) on my router, but I did swap between my N600 router (WDR3600) and the AC1750 router and do 2.4GHz tests and then compensated for the difference in speed at the same room location (assuming that beamforming did nothing). I know that is less exact sciency than using the same exact router and disabling/enabling it, because the newer/better router might have better signal processing, cleaner amps, etc, etc.
At any rate, my finding was same room 2.4GHz 40MHz difference was 15% between the two routers. One room over, 15ft+wall resulted in a 20-25% difference between the routers. A floor above and 15ft resulted in the same 20-25% difference.
A floor, 1 wall and 20ft of distance and a toilet (IE sitting on the john with my laptop on my lap to test it out) resulted in a 30% difference.
a floor, 3 walls and 30-40ft resulted in an 80% difference between the two routers.
a floor, 3 walls, a 4ft masonry chimney and 50ft resulted in a 25% difference between the two routers.
I am more than willing to conceed that all of the other measurements are simply up to the difference between the AC1750 routers having better signal processing and generally better components, but at the one location with 80% difference, that is more than simply the difference, that has gotta be beamforming working its magic. I took a couple of measurements right around that area the gains are all pretty similar. In the 65-80% range. I'd think/figure/hope that some of the difference in the closer and furthest location that were showing 20-30% gain also were at least in small part because of beamforming, but those are close to margin for error and possibly from just a better router.
The signal strength difference same room found the AC1750 router with +2dBm over the N600 (with the N600 having 5dBi antennas and the AC1750 having...3dBi? Maybe 4?). So, could be more powerful radio, could be beamforming, or what not. But it is smaller antennas, but a couple dBm advantage to the AC1750 in the same room, about 8ft from the router.
In most of the other locations the AC1750 had a 3-5dBm advantage over the N600 router, with the largest difference area (dinning room table) showing an 8dBm difference between the N600 and AC1750.
Out of curiosity with your tests Thiggins, I read through it again, but it looks like you are using a pair of 3:3 clients (AC1750 routers). Is that the case? If so, maybe that is why the gains are very modest and only in a couple of locations? In my case I had a 2:2 client and a 3:3 router running my tests.
Any chance you could try both 1:1 and 2:2 clients if/when you ever do a retest of beamforming?
Thanks!
I don't have a way to toggle it on and off (beamforming) on my router, but I did swap between my N600 router (WDR3600) and the AC1750 router and do 2.4GHz tests and then compensated for the difference in speed at the same room location (assuming that beamforming did nothing). I know that is less exact sciency than using the same exact router and disabling/enabling it, because the newer/better router might have better signal processing, cleaner amps, etc, etc.
At any rate, my finding was same room 2.4GHz 40MHz difference was 15% between the two routers. One room over, 15ft+wall resulted in a 20-25% difference between the routers. A floor above and 15ft resulted in the same 20-25% difference.
A floor, 1 wall and 20ft of distance and a toilet (IE sitting on the john with my laptop on my lap to test it out) resulted in a 30% difference.
a floor, 3 walls and 30-40ft resulted in an 80% difference between the two routers.
a floor, 3 walls, a 4ft masonry chimney and 50ft resulted in a 25% difference between the two routers.
I am more than willing to conceed that all of the other measurements are simply up to the difference between the AC1750 routers having better signal processing and generally better components, but at the one location with 80% difference, that is more than simply the difference, that has gotta be beamforming working its magic. I took a couple of measurements right around that area the gains are all pretty similar. In the 65-80% range. I'd think/figure/hope that some of the difference in the closer and furthest location that were showing 20-30% gain also were at least in small part because of beamforming, but those are close to margin for error and possibly from just a better router.
The signal strength difference same room found the AC1750 router with +2dBm over the N600 (with the N600 having 5dBi antennas and the AC1750 having...3dBi? Maybe 4?). So, could be more powerful radio, could be beamforming, or what not. But it is smaller antennas, but a couple dBm advantage to the AC1750 in the same room, about 8ft from the router.
In most of the other locations the AC1750 had a 3-5dBm advantage over the N600 router, with the largest difference area (dinning room table) showing an 8dBm difference between the N600 and AC1750.
Out of curiosity with your tests Thiggins, I read through it again, but it looks like you are using a pair of 3:3 clients (AC1750 routers). Is that the case? If so, maybe that is why the gains are very modest and only in a couple of locations? In my case I had a 2:2 client and a 3:3 router running my tests.
Any chance you could try both 1:1 and 2:2 clients if/when you ever do a retest of beamforming?
Thanks!
