Apple Hiring for Wireless 802.11ac System Test Engineers

[lukin]

I wish they would spend time making my Time Capsule provide my iPhone with > .5 Mbps on my wifi. That's just me asking for the iPhone improvement... All my Apple devices (other than my MBP) are horribly slow. Apple can't seem to tell me why.

My MBP gets 30 Mbps. My iPad gets 1-3 Mbps. My iPhone gets .3-.5 mps. My Apple TV buffers far more times than it does on my netgear router.

You'd think Apple devices, at least, would work.

My iPhone and iPad are fine on my work wifi, and friends wifis that's use netgear/linksys routers. The one that doesn't work well? My Apple Timecapsule.

[Peace]

Originally Posted by danvdr

Is this fast enough that Apple could make a monitor that doesn't require a physical connection to the computer?

Wireless speed has nothing to do with graphics rendering on a display via a video card.

[CyBeRino]

Originally Posted by iRCL

What's all this "Likely" weasel word crap? Name a single ISP who has a commercial line even purely downstream above 150-600mbps. Nobody asking about whether or not it will affect them at home has that kind of connection, so give them the right answer.

The answer is no, this isn't going to improve your Internet experience one bit

As usual when an American says "name one blah", the answer lies in looking outside the US.

Here in .nl, it is common to be able to get 500Mbps service (capped on a gigE line rate) where fiber optical connections are available. In south korea, gigabit connections are common.

And then of course 802.11 technology is not limited to only people's home networks. This stuff is used just as much in businesses all over the world.

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Originally Posted by danvdr

Is this fast enough that Apple could make a monitor that doesn't require a physical connection to the computer?

No, unless one were to use image compression which would be a bad idea.

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Originally Posted by Peace

Wireless speed has nothing to do with graphics rendering on a display via a video card.

It is if your intention is to remove the cable carrying the graphics signal from the video card to the screen.

[macs4nw]

Originally Posted by shuggy1972

I'm more interested in whether wireless ac will extend the range (with sustained levels of connectivity) over the current n specification at 5GHz. I currently have a time capsule running dual mode n/g wireless. I live in a railroad apparment in NYC. The rooms at the front of the house, where the t/capsule is, get plenty fast connectivity (the t/c is hard wired to a DOCSIS modem which provides a 50Mbps internet connection via Time Warner Cable). However, I have to plug an Airport Express in to the hallway as a repeater/bridge just to get a connection on the wireless g network, and that connection is pretty slow...and there's no connection on the wireless n portion.

Hoping with this new ac standard I can ditch the g network and the Airport Express repeater, and have adequately fast connectivity from the rear to the front of the appartment. So, if anyone has any insights into how the range/wall penetration of ac compares with that of n, please weigh in, thanks.

Originally Posted by Rocketman

No.

'Beamforming', which was a non-standard option on 802.11n, will be a standardized implementation on 802.11ac. Rather than broadcasting signal randomly in all directions, the router and client will seek each other out, and signal will be concentrated and focused between them, yielding an effectively 2 to 3 times further range than omni-directional broadcasting, (no doubt an optimistic spec). But equally important, Beamforming can also adjust for and cancel, out-of-phase signals (mostly because of reflected signals due to walls and obstructions, much like multipath distortion on FM radio) that could otherwise substantially reduce usable bandwidth.

So yes, in addition to faster home networking speeds, it will also extend your range.

[apple-win]

Originally Posted by macs4nw

'Beamforming', which was a non-standard option on 802.11n, will be a standardized implementation on 802.11ac. Rather than broadcasting signal randomly in all directions, the router and client will seek each other out, and signal will be concentrated and focused between them, yielding an effectively 2 to 3 times further range than omni-directional broadcasting, (no doubt an optimistic spec). But equally important, Beamforming can also adjust for out-of-phase signals (mostly because of reflected signals due to walls and obstructions, much like multipath distortion on FM radio) that could otherwise substantially reduce usable bandwidth.

So yes, in addition to faster home networking speeds, it will also extend your range.

If there are multiple computers and one 802.11ac base station, is it possible to form multiple 5GHz beams simultaneously to every computer?

[mrxak]

As much as I'm thrilled to see 802.11ac progress, I am in no rush to upgrade my own home network. 802.11n already covers the vast majority of my use cases quite well. I'm actually kind of ashamed to admit this.

Where I think 802.11ac will make a difference is actually in public spaces. Like, heavy traffic public spaces. The faster the wireless speeds, the quicker traffic will get out of the way of other traffic, thus more people can probably use it without a lot of interference. Of course, you'll still need a nice fat pipe going to the internet or you'll still have a jammed up connection. Still, wireless interference should be improved regardless, hopefully maximizing that physical line. You'll get a slow connection, but at least you'll get a connection.

[macs4nw]

Originally Posted by apple-win

If there are multiple computers and one 802.11ac base station, is it possible to form multiple 5GHz beams simultaneously to every computer?

Yes, in the new standardized implementation, awareness of relative location is established between the router and each 'client' separately, and the broadcast energy is focused between the base station and each client.

[maxira]

this is my speed test.
macbook pro dual core 2004, connected to wifi on airport express!
my ISP Fastweb optical fiber

[KnightWRX]

Originally Posted by Peace

Wireless speed has nothing to do with graphics rendering on a display via a video card.

wDP (Wireless DisplayPort) disagrees :

http://wirelessgigabitalliance.org/n...s-displayport/

wDP is a wireless DisplayPort 1.2 compatible protocol announced in 2010. It will provide 17.28 Gbps of bandwidth in the 60 GHz band for uncabled displays.

[The Wedge]

Originally Posted by Benjamins

no.

most of the improvements will be limited to LAN.
e.g. when you airplay will be smoother. Transferring files between computers will be faster.

I wonder how much better this will make gaming that use your phone/ipad as a controller with the apple tv. Also, I'd like to use my ipad as a dj mixing console airplaying to the apple tv, but currenly the wifi latency makes this impossible. Will latency ever get so low where it's not even noticeable?

[zivilist]

Predicted real rate (under ideal condition)? I suppose less than the half.

[Rocketman]

Originally Posted by KnightWRX

wDP (Wireless DisplayPort) disagrees :

http://wirelessgigabitalliance.org/n...s-displayport/

wDP is a wireless DisplayPort 1.2 compatible protocol announced in 2010. It will provide 17.28 Gbps of bandwidth in the 60 GHz band for uncabled displays.

Here's another more recent and evolved link.

http://www.wi-fi.org/media/press-rel...AE-launches-wi

It seems to be similar to what Panasonic announced at CES 2013 for its new HDTV lineup.

[chrisbru]

Originally Posted by jessica.

This seems to only serve a purpose if you're one of the many who stream digital content on your home network. I can see this being pretty awesome for that. My ISP isn't going to allow those speeds for upload/downloading, ever.

Exactly. I can finally centralize a media server that allows content to be streamed to three or four televisions at the same time.

[apple-win]

Originally Posted by chrisbru

Exactly. I can finally centralize a media server that allows content to be streamed to three or four televisions at the same time.

Where can you buy a TV with 802.11ac built-in
Just because of this 802.11ac stuff, people throw away more electronic stuffs to landfill

[bedifferent]

I'm rather surprised that Apple hasn't adopted the "ac" standard yet as Netgear and others, they jumped on the "N" standard well before the competition. In fact, Apple seemed to adopt newer tech in the past, yet I have the sense iOS and their devices are taking focus off the products Apple used to work well on. A new tv rumored in the works, new iPad, new iPhone, a retina display MacBook Pro - and iMac's just adopting older hardware standards while reverting to even older mobile hardware to save space - not been impressed and it seems shareholders are having their doubts.

Aside from Thunderbolt, there hasn't been much in OS X development hardware wise.

[canman4PM]

Originally Posted by Verbatim Cookie

AppleBitch? Nice name.


What's the difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa?

sugar

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Originally Posted by CyBeRino

As usual when an American says "name one blah", the answer lies in looking outside the US.[COLOR="#808080"]

No kidding, lol.

[selva]

Originally Posted by mattopotamus

could someone put those speeds in laymen terms? Would an average user notice any difference when surfing the web?

I believe your Q has been answered thoroughly by other posters on this thread. However, my Q is what the HELL is a mattopotamus?

[mattopotamus]

Originally Posted by selva

I believe your Q has been answered thoroughly by other posters on this thread. However, my Q is what the HELL is a mattopotamus?

haha. Everyone was really good at answering my question....as to your question. My name is matt and that combined with hippopotamus gives you a mattopotamus. I think it is pretty clever :P

[KnightWRX]

Originally Posted by mattopotamus

haha. Everyone was really good at answering my question....as to your question. My name is matt and that combined with hippopotamus gives you a mattopotamus. I think it is pretty clever :P

I think the question was more about your apparent fascination for hippopotamuses than the actual etymology behind your nickname.

[mattopotamus]

Originally Posted by KnightWRX

I think the question was more about your apparent fascination for hippopotamuses than the actual etymology behind your nickname.

none at all....I like animals and wanted a name that combined the two. For example, I have a friend named geoff, so I always call him ge-off-asaurus.

I know i am weird haha

[chrisbru]

Originally Posted by apple-win

Where can you buy a TV with 802.11ac built-in
Just because of this 802.11ac stuff, people throw away more electronic stuffs to landfill

Why would it have to be built into the TV? Apple TV, which I'm sure will get updated with 802.11ac eventually.

[AidenShaw]

Originally Posted by iRCL

Sorry - the people who have google Fiber know it, and it's limited to like 50 people in Kansas. Irrelevant response

Apparently you don't realize that the "Kansas City" that everyone talks about is not in Kansas....

[apple-win]

Originally Posted by chrisbru

Why would it have to be built into the TV? Apple TV, which I'm sure will get updated with 802.11ac eventually.

I have an Apple TV, and I'm planning to buy a Mac mini after Mac mini HDMI problem is fixed. Could you please tell me how to set up a media server on OS X? Any software you recommend?

[Vizin]

.

[moe-jiller]

Originally Posted by bedifferent

I'm rather surprised that Apple hasn't adopted the "ac" standard yet as Netgear and others, they jumped on the "N" standard well before the competition. In fact, Apple seemed to adopt newer tech in the past, yet I have the sense iOS and their devices are taking focus off the products Apple used to work well on. A new tv rumored in the works, new iPad, new iPhone, a retina display MacBook Pro - and iMac's just adopting older hardware standards while reverting to even older mobile hardware to save space - not been impressed and it seems shareholders are having their doubts.

Aside from Thunderbolt, there hasn't been much in OS X development hardware wise.

This discussion on the 802.11ac equipment was in January. Is there a more current status on Apple Hard Ware coming with the 11ac standard included?