Beamforming – brief definition
With beamforming, the access point knows where a Wi-Fi device is located and sends the Wi-Fi signal specifically in that direction. The function thus provides faster, stronger Wi-Fi signals and greater coverage for each device.
Many routers and access points send a Wi-Fi signal of the same signal strength in all directions. This can work by cleverly placing the signal transmitter within the home network – with beamforming, though, it works a lot better.
What is Beamforming?
If a Wi-Fi signal is sent out circular in all directions, it covers a large area. But that can be inefficient. With beamforming, the access point agilely adapts the signal to different clients via multiple antennas and thus determines the optimal path that the signal must take to reach the respective end device.
This has clear advantages: Beamforming increases the range and quality of the Wi-Fi signal and boosts the overall efficiency of data transmission. Additionally, there tends to be less signal interference between different end devices because the signals are sent in a more targeted manner with less overlap.
