Ruckus delivers wireless multimedia performance

Multimedia (voice and video) is the next big thing to travel over a wireless LAN, and Ruckus delivers content via wireless multimedia, so we tested it.

Multimedia (voice and video) is the next big thing to travel over a wireless LAN. While products designed specifically for multimedia traffic are geared mostly to the residential market, it’s clear that improving video quality over a WLAN link will also interest businesses.

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Enter the Ruckus Wireless Multimedia System from Ruckus Wireless, which includes the company’s MF2900 Multimedia Access Point and the MF2501 Multimedia Adapter. Ruckus says its equipment gets multimedia content from one fixed location in a residence to another (such as a home theater system) with absolute video and audio fidelity.

Ruckus uses a six-element digital beam-forming technique it calls BeamFlex – akin to multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) technology – that lets its products select a combination of transmitting and receiving antennas. The antennas remain optimal because they change as the radio environment changes (because of other radio-frequency traffic or as people move around near their equipment). Ruckus also embeds firmware called SmartCast, which provides “advanced packet inspection, handling queuing and scheduling” for optimal performance.

The system we compared against Ruckus combined a Linksys router and PCI card. Setting up the two systems via a browser was easy; we changed RF channels and IP addresses but left all other parameters at their defaults. Wireless Protected Access with Pre-Shared Keys (WPA-PSK) security, the minimum we’d suggest for a corporate environment, was used on both system setups. We noted that the Ruckus client attached via an RJ-45s Ethernet port. We don’t believe the differences in the systems affected our results, because network traffic was moving at well below the peak speeds of both interfaces.

In our performance tests (see “How we tested Ruckus”), the Linksys system turned in a consistent speed of 16.3 Mbps for three test runs, while the Ruckus system produced speeds of 16.5M, 17.1M and 13

The system we compared against Ruckus combined a Linksys router and PCI card. Setting up the two systems via a browser was easy; we changed RF channels and IP addresses but left all other parameters at their defaults. Wireless Protected Access with Pre-Shared Keys (WPA-PSK) security, the minimum we’d suggest for a corporate environment, was used on both system setups. We noted that the Ruckus client attached via an RJ-45s Ethernet port. We don’t believe the differences in the systems affected our results, because network traffic was moving at well below the peak speeds of both interfaces.

In our performance tests (see “How we tested Ruckus”), the Linksys system turned in a consistent speed of 16.3 Mbps for three test runs, while the Ruckus system produced speeds of 16.5M, 17.1M and 13Mbps. We assumed from these results – given our particular workload, the geometric relationship of the nodes and the environment – that the two systems would yield similar results with typical network-oriented applications.

Ruckus cautioned us that its products are designed for multimedia, not for traditional networking, so we went a step further and ran a subjective evaluation of video quality and performance. Here the Ruckus equipment was uniformly excellent; we noticed no dropouts, glitches or other errors of any form, video or audio that might have detracted from our viewing experience. We watched a clip ripped from a DVD for 3.5 minutes and quickly forgot that we were testing a network. It was that good. But we got identical results from the Linksys system – flawless video and audio.

It’s quite clear that short-range, broadband distribution of wireless is going to be a huge market – big-screen televisions are seldom near the cable or satellite drop. Regardless, networked home media implies a degree of mobility and convenience unavailable with traditional TVs and the tyranny of the set-top box; hence, the need for wireless.

We would like to see Ruckus replace the RJ-45s port with component video connectors (and ideally, five-channel audio or even a High-Definition Multimedia Interface connector) to create a true media product. The one consumer-grade video-link product on the market, Belkin’s 55000, doesn’t use MIMO or another multiantenna technique, resulting often in suboptimal range and video quality. High-definition TV (and the bandwidth it demands) is clearly the future, and we expect to see a broad range of video links based on Wi-Fi, Ultra Wideband radio, and even, in a couple of years, technologies such as 60GHz millimeter waves.

Ruckus is aiming its products at service providers, so don’t look for it on store shelves. We’d love to see it there, because it makes a great wireless bridge (perfect in enterprise environments for computers or other equipment that have only an Ethernet port), even if video isn’t on the menu. However, you’ll be hearing a lot more about Ruckus, especially as IP TV services begin to take hold.

Mathias is principal at the Farpoint Group, a wireless consultancy. He can be reached at craig@farpointgroup.com.

Mathias is also a member of the Network World Lab Alliance, a cooperative of the premier reviewers in the network industry, each bringing to bear years of practical experience on every review. For more Lab Alliance information, including what it takes to become a member, go to www.networkworld.com/alliance.