Aruba Networks' (News - Alert) Newly Launched ARM 2.0 Software Increases 802.11n Throughput by 200 percent in Real-World Environments
Aruba Networks recently announced the launch of its Adaptive Radio Management (ARM (News - Alert)) 2.0 software which is capable of making the 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) networks run reliably at a greater speed with increased resiliency. The yet to be patented ARM 2.0 software is compatible with 802.11 standards and clients. While it can be used in all new as well as existing Aruba deployments, it incorporates infrastructure-based controls which can direct behavior of their Wi-Fi clients and help them operate to their maximum potential.
"The need for infrastructure control will grow in importance as more applications migrate from dedicated wire ports onto shared wireless networks," remarked Keerti Melkote (News - Alert), Aruba's co-founder and chief technology officer. "There may be compelling performance reasons to dedicate part of the 5GHz band to high speed 802.11n traffic, or allocate specific channels for power users or different types of applications. ARM 2.0 can address this situation by steering only 802.11n clients and associated applications to faster, quieter channels. ARM 2.0 makes wireless network behavior more predictable for both IT architects and end users," Melkote added.
Founded on the ARM 1.0 platform which automated wireless set-ups and optimized network performance even in the presence of interferences in its efforts to manage access point behavior, the ARM 2.0 has been developed to deliver an even higher performance network without including any special client software or violation of the 802.11 standards.
Key features of the ARM 2.0 include band steering which can divert clients to the best available wireless channels and help extract their best performance with more availability of channels and increased sources of interference.
The spectrum load balancing feature will allow Aruba access points and Multi-Service Mobility Controllers to shift Wi-Fi clients on channels with available bandwidth and help prevent a fall or degradation in network performance due to over-subscription.
"The proof of any technology is how well it performs in the field, and we've seen first hand how features like band steering can improve network performance," stated Kenneth Blackney, Drexel University's associate vice president of core technology.
Other key features include Co-Channel Interference Mitigation, Airtime Fairness and coordinated access to wireless channels that can help overcome problems faced during densely populated deployments in areas like conference centers and airport lounges. The ARM 2.0 can also help protect performances by preventing any compromise on higher speed 802.11n clients due to slower 802.11b/g clients.
“802.11n offers a dramatic improvement in throughput, but the coexistence mechanisms built into 802.11n to ensure interoperability with legacy Wi-Fi devices can also slow it to a crawl in networks with 802.11b (or .11g) devices. As we saw in testing at the University of Washington, Aruba's infrastructure controls correct this situation with no modification to clients. The benefits of ARM 2.0 are impressive," commented Craig Mathias, a Principal with Farpoint Group.
Shireen Dee is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Shireen's articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Tim Gray
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