Dual band routers

[Kape]

Hi, guys! Could anyone please clarify if modern dual band routers, which are described to work simultaneously on 2.4 ghz and 5 ghz networks, would have maximum advertised speed on each band when there are clients on both bands? (I understand that max speed is not achievable due to many other reasons)

What I am concerned about is that routers like Asus AC-88U have 4 antennas. These antennas are dual band. I thought that 1 antenna is required for each spatial stream. If 5 ghz network is active and 2.4 ghz client appears, would router dedicate one or two antenna for 2.4 ghz and the rest for 5 ghz or they would all work on both bands simultaneously without any drawbacks?

What is the reason for routers like tp-link archer c7 to design separate internal 2.4 ghz antennas then?

 

[L&LD]

The C7 design is simply that, designed that way.

Most routers though are not. They can work simultaneously on both bands with all antennae.

How well they work (i.e. meaning, not interfering with each other) depends on the quality of the hardware, construction and design of both the electrical circuitry and the firmware too. Not all AC1900 class router (as an example) are created equal.

 

[sfx2000]

What I am concerned about is that routers like Asus AC-88U have 4 antennas. These antennas are dual band. I thought that 1 antenna is required for each spatial stream. If 5 ghz network is active and 2.4 ghz client appears, would router dedicate one or two antenna for 2.4 ghz and the rest for 5 ghz or they would all work on both bands simultaneously without any drawbacks?

I wouldn't worry too much about how many antennae you see on a device...

To whit - when was the last time one has seen 1 or more antennae on a smartphone/tablet/laptop? Been a long time, and a well designed internal antenna can perform as well as a pokey thing sticking out of a plastic case...

 

[sfx2000]

How well they work (i.e. meaning, not interfering with each other) depends on the quality of the hardware, construction and design of both the electrical circuitry and the firmware too. Not all AC1900 class router (as an example) are created equal.

At the end of the day it really depends on the skills, expertise, and insight of the RF engineering group working on that part of the product...

 

[L&LD]

At the end of the day it really depends on the skills, expertise, and insight of the RF engineering group working on that part of the product...

Not to mention the focus on delivering an outstanding product from all angles too.

It is easy to see that many manufacturers do not care about the final, end result.

 

[pete y testing]

What I am concerned about is that routers like Asus AC-88U have 4 antennas. These antennas are dual band. I thought that 1 antenna is required for each spatial stream. If 5 ghz network is active and 2.4 ghz client appears, would router dedicate one or two antenna for 2.4 ghz and the rest for 5 ghz or they would all work on both bands simultaneously without any drawbacks?

just to clear things up for you without getting geeky

when you refer to dual band its just means that there are two separate bands used but the roter in this case the 88u has whats called dual band antennas in that they also transmit both bands

see below

WI1 chip1: Broadcom BCM4366
WI1 802dot11 protocols: an+ac
WI1 MIMO config: 4x4:4
WI1 antenna connector: U.FL, RP-SMA

WI2 chip1: Broadcom BCM4366
WI2 802dot11 protocols: bgn
WI2 MIMO config: 4x4:4
WI2 antenna connector: U.FL, RP-SMA

the top section is the wireless AC 5 gig transmission

the bottom section is the 2.4 gig transmission

both bands use all 4 antennas to achieve the max sync rates

I thought that 1 antenna is required for each spatial stream. If 5 ghz network is active and 2.4 ghz client appears, would router dedicate one or two antenna for 2.4 ghz and the rest for 5 ghz or they would all work on both bands simultaneously without any drawbacks?

yes all 4 antennas work simultaneously on both bands depending on what type of client is connected , eg some clients are only a single spectral stream , some are 2 , some are 3 and we are yet to see clients with 4 spectral streams