Antennas Get a Better Reception

摘要

Antennas are the Rodney Dangerfield of wireless LANs―they don't get no respect, at least not from wireless-hardware vendors. Some-times those small pieces of wire tucked inside your notebook computer aren't even positioned for optimal performance. Popular switched-diversity antennas on wireless APs (access points) don't work much better, either. But change is coming. A new generation of so-called smart antennas, from Airgo Networks, Motia, Vivato and others, boasts higher performance and longer-range coverage than today's relatively primitive designs. Whether you're planning for the future with smart antennas or making the best of your existing antenna system, knowing the functions and limitations of these devices is as important as knowing your wired LANs' attenuation, impedance and crosstalk characteristics.