Inside Wireless: Network Throughput
Channel: RF elements s.r.o.
Date: 2021-02-16

Users of RF radios in wireless networks often mix a few terms, such as throughput. Out of total data stream passing the propagation channels, only a portion is going to be the user data. In this Inside Wireless episode we explain the difference between throughput and physical rate. Be careful though, the throughput your link can achieve is the maximum possible. Link budget equation tells you how big of a throughput you can actually achieve - https://youtu.be/FmhfBYcJeVo

When sending a physical letter to someone, besides the letter itself, there is also an additional information - such as address, or specific instructions. These can range the information on the doorbell number etc. You can say that these are 'overhead' data - information needed for successful delivery.

Wireless or wired, the data links are no different - besides the user data there are (electronic) addresses, error protection data, etc. Therefore, the total physical throughput, or all the data transferred, is always higher than the user data, or throughput. 

The composition and specifics of the overhead data varies from standard to standard. For IEEE 802.11 standards, the composition depends on the generation of the standard but every new standard should be compatible with the previous ones to ensure continuity and ease of use of newer devices with older ones. 

One more thing - users often confuse Mbits/s and MBytes/s... Byte has 8 bits, so you get the throughput in MBytes/s by dividing the Mbits/s speed by 8. For example: 800 Mbit/s = 100 MByte/s (usually shortened as Mb/s and MB/s).

Are you a WISP running a network in 5 GHz band and have issues delivering the throughput you want due to noise? Check our Horn Sector antennas - they reject noise, increase SNR, and thus overall throughput!

https://rfelements.com/products/symmetrical-horn/symmetrical-horn-gen2-2/symmetrical-horn-tp-antenna-2/

Or, if you want to know more about the Horn Sectors before committing to buying one, check our video on how they mitigate noise!

https://youtu.be/AWdSUgw9noc
https://youtu.be/PauhX66Vfms

0:00 introduction
0:48 overhead data format
1:28 MCS index chart vs. Throughput

#RFelements #InsideWireless #Throughput #PhysicalRate #Antennas #AntennaTheory #WISP #SaveSpectrum #RejectNoise #growsmart #UbiquitiNetworks #CambiumNetworks #MimosaNetworks #Mikrotik