Ruckus Ships 3-Stream 802.11ac Access Point

The Ruckus ZoneFlex R700
The Ruckus ZoneFlex R700

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.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


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