Is Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac interoperable with previous versions of Wi-Fi?

MU-MIMO is an innovative breakthrough that enables simultaneous communication to multiple devices, improving overall speed and enabling network multitasking.

Upgrading devices to use wave 2 features is implementation dependent. Some devices can be upgraded through software, but most will require new hardware.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac enables higher data rates, higher capacity and lower latency.  Products implementing the technology behind Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac with wave 2 features are capable of multi-gigabit data rates– nearly triple that of devices implementing only wave 1 features.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac handles today’s demanding applications and paves the way for new applications in the future.  Certified-ac devices are more robust and offer a greater user experience including:

• Transferring an HD movie to a tablet in under 4 minutes
• Sharing photo albums with friends in seconds
• Streaming three HD quality videos at one time

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac devices also improve wireless performance in the enterprise in the following ways:

• Enhanced user experience for teleconference meetings
• Delivering greater in-office networking coverage – more clients for the same number of APs per office area
• Projecting graphics, video and audio to a large screen in a conference room or auditorium

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac operates in the 5 GHz band, but devices support the 2.4 GHz band by integrating Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n.  Dual-band devices switch between the more crowded but popular 2.4 GHz frequency band, to the cleaner 5 GHz frequency band to connect more demanding applications and avoid interference from other devices.

Wi-Fi Multimedia, represented by the acronym WMM, is related to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED WMM^® programs. These optional certifications provide multimedia enhancements for Wi-Fi networks that improve the user experience for audio, video, and voice applications.

Compatibility and quality are achieved through testing of Wi-Fi products. Consumers should always look for the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo to ensure the best user experience possible.