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MIT Researchers Claim They've Tripled Wi-Fi Speeds

Researchers at MIT's artificial intelligence labs have developed new algorithms they claim could triple the maximum speed of modern Wi-Fi networks. According to a new paper by the researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), outlines the development of a new suite of signal-processing algorithms that lets multiple routers and access points concurrently transmit data to multiple receivers, all using the same frequency and without interference.

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The new technology, which they're dubbing MegaMIMO 2.0, is an evolution of existing MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) systems that utilize multiple transmitters and receivers to transfer more data at the same time.

But the researchers note that multiple antennas and MIMO (which is part of the overall 802.11n standard) can only go so far.

"In today's wireless world, you can't solve spectrum crunch by throwing more transmitters at the problem, because they will all still be interfering with one another," researcher Ezzeldin Hamed tells MIT News.

"The answer is to have all those access points work with each other simultaneously to efficiently use the available spectrum."

Enter MegaMIMO 2.0, which the researchers claim can deliver not only three time the speeds of existing Wi-Fi, but double the range of the signal. Granted while the researchers claim the technology is "soon-to-be-commercialized," they're offering no timeline on how soon we'll see it implemented in existing consumer or enterprise gear. The video below provides a little more detail.

»youtu.be/X_a9aLmwWpI
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ILikeTech
join:2015-03-09

ILikeTech

Member

Sooo

in an MDU setting, all AP's would need to be part of the same network or do they sense each other and work this way independently?

I don't yet understand how it triples the speed of a network with minimal congestion
wkm001
join:2009-12-14

-1 recommendation

wkm001

Member

Re: Sooo

You must not have watched the video, it was very informative. /sarcasm
wkm001

wkm001

Member

So tired...

I'm so tired of stuff like this being vaporware. Look at this from four years ago.
»www.nature.com/news/addi ··· -1.10160
»www.extremetech.com/extr ··· finitely
InvalidError
join:2008-02-03

InvalidError

Member

Re: So tired...

There is nothing vaporware about MuMIMO, it is basically the same technology behind static radar arrays: use DSP to adjust the phase between dipole antennas to create the sweep beam without moving parts.

The MIT tweak pushes that one step further by making the transmitters co-operate with each other to reduce interference: instead of receivers having to figure out uncorrelated noise between all transmitters, now the transmitters are sync'd together. Having one less degree of noise to worry about makes the receivers' job of discriminating between overlapping transmissions easier.

Of course, this will come at the expense of increased processing power requirements at the transmitters and receivers.

aaronwt
Premium Member
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
Asus RT-AX89

aaronwt to wkm001

Premium Member

to wkm001
said by wkm001:

I'm so tired of stuff like this being vaporware. Look at this from four years ago.
»www.nature.com/news/addi ··· -1.10160
»www.extremetech.com/extr ··· finitely

But here is a more updated story from 2014 about the Vortex raido waves. It says they were concentrating on solutions for Back haul.
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina

Member

Adding More Transmitters

If the MIT folks don't think more transmitters are the answer, is the Artemis technology a complete fraud?

»www.artemis.com/pcell

These folks seem to claim more transmitters are better. In their scheme, all transmitters are interlinked and each is part of an "orchestra" of signals that intersect to create "personal cells" around each device -- capable of full throughput to each with the same spectrum.

Better yet, they claim it works with existing LTE devices.

Too good to be true?

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: Adding More Transmitters

said by rradina:

Too good to be true?

Maybe, beamforming works so I could see the cell to device path working, but are existing LTE devices complex enough to beamform back to the cell/router?
"somehow we designed in future capability, before it was developed" ?!? doesn't seem to likely
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina

Member

Re: Adding More Transmitters

That's a good point. I have no idea how the return path works. Obviously it would get saturated quickly if lots of folks started uploading lots of stuff.

alchav
join:2002-05-17
Saint George, UT

1 recommendation

alchav

Member

They went from 1Mbps to 3Mbps.....Great!!!

Wireless is Wireless, the only thing it's good for is maybe Laptops and Mobile Devices. It can't beat Fiber!
tyrant_
Wannabe Billionaire
join:2013-07-07

tyrant_

Member

Re: They went from 1Mbps to 3Mbps.....Great!!!

...We're talking WiFi, not cell service. No one hooks up fiber direct to there computer, they'll use a Cat5e coax ethernet. And if not that, then they'll use there routers. We're talking consumer gear and front end networks, not the services that supply them.

Evergreener
Sent By Grocery Clerks
join:2001-02-20
Evergreen, CO

-1 recommendation

Evergreener to alchav

Member

to alchav
Funny how the wireless carriers no longer use wireless to backhaul their wireless traffic. They use fiber! I don't use wireless to connect my home to the Interwebs either, despite having my home blanketed w/ wifi.
Liberty
Premium Member
join:2005-06-12
Arizona

2 recommendations

Liberty

Premium Member

Re: They went from 1Mbps to 3Mbps.....Great!!!

said by Evergreener:

Funny how the wireless carriers no longer use wireless to backhaul their wireless traffic.

Lots and lots and lots of cell sites use microwave backhauls, at least in the non urban areas of Arizona and Nevada.
And dang near every WISP tower is microwave backhauled around here

Anon38e2a
@comcast.net

Anon38e2a to alchav

Anon

to alchav
Well, in less you want to be untethered. Then Wireless beats Fiber...