{"video_id":"6-CKZ9kqv7w","title":"Can Your Router AIM Your WiFi? - BeamForming Explained","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2020-05-05T14:58:16Z","duration_s":248,"segments":[{"start_s":0.08,"end_s":6.16,"text":"it's common sense that aiming something in the direction you want it to go is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":4.08,"end_s":10.4,"text":"generally helpful whether you're shooting a hockey puck or visiting the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":7.919,"end_s":14.24,"text":"men's room but what about wi-fi i mean those little antennas that stick up from","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":12.24,"end_s":18.56,"text":"your home router just kind of blast the signal or it's in a 360 degree donut","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":16.48,"end_s":22.64,"text":"shape which is fine but what if you could aim your wi-fi signal toward the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":20.56,"end_s":26.96,"text":"spots in your house where your gadgets actually are it turns out that this is a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":25.039,"end_s":31.039,"text":"real technique and it's called beam forming but does it really work as","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":28.8,"end_s":35.36,"text":"advertised to answer we spoke with our friend and wi-fi expert joel crane and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":33.44,"end_s":41.28,"text":"we'd like to thank him for giving us a nice strong assist so beam forming can","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":38.16,"end_s":43.6,"text":"be implemented in one of two ways one is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":41.28,"end_s":48.48,"text":"to stick a bunch of antennas inside an access point and because each tenant is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":46.0,"end_s":52.64,"text":"in a different physical spot they'll all produce slightly different coverage","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":50.32,"end_s":57.84,"text":"patterns the idea here is to decide which antenna combinations hear a client","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":55.36,"end_s":61.6,"text":"device like a phone most strongly whenever it's transmitting to the router","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":59.92,"end_s":66.24,"text":"so the router tries different combinations until it finds the best one","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":64.159,"end_s":71.04,"text":"then it can time the transmissions from each antenna so that they all converge","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":68.56,"end_s":75.28,"text":"at the same time at the spot where it thinks the client is it's kind of like","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":73.439,"end_s":79.84,"text":"throwing two rocks into a pond and seeing the the spot where the ripples","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":77.28,"end_s":83.759,"text":"come together to form one larger ripple this is called chip based beam forming","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":81.84,"end_s":87.2,"text":"and it was mainly pioneered by a company called ruckus but other manufacturers","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":85.68,"end_s":92.159,"text":"tend to use a different kind of beamforming built into the 802.11 ac","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":90.72,"end_s":97.36,"text":"standard called sounding based beamforming here the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":94.799,"end_s":101.6,"text":"router continually talks to the client asking how good the signal is in order","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":99.2,"end_s":106.399,"text":"to decide how to time each broadcast from each antenna but whichever kind of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":104.32,"end_s":111.68,"text":"beam forming you use though you do get the benefits of better speed at long","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":108.56,"end_s":113.68,"text":"range and better range overall up to ten","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":111.68,"end_s":118.0,"text":"percent better actually which can make a difference if you're trying to stream a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":115.28,"end_s":123.04,"text":"video far from your router for example well that sounds great right but here's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":120.159,"end_s":127.68,"text":"the issue when the ieee finalized the wireless ac standard it made sounding","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":126.0,"end_s":132.319,"text":"based beam forming optional and when part of a standard is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":129.599,"end_s":137.76,"text":"merely optional it's like an optional workplace function nobody shows up so","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":135.04,"end_s":142.319,"text":"even if you buy an ac router that says it supports beamforming odds are your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":140.48,"end_s":147.68,"text":"phones and other gadgets you have lying about do not and there are even plenty of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":144.879,"end_s":151.599,"text":"higher end client devices that lack beam forming support making matters worse","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":149.68,"end_s":155.68,"text":"it's often very difficult to tell whether a client device does support it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":153.84,"end_s":159.76,"text":"from just looking at a spec sheet the best way to tell is to use a packet","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":157.44,"end_s":163.28,"text":"capture program such as wireshark which will give you technical information on","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":161.44,"end_s":167.28,"text":"the connection including whether a connected device supports beamforming of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":165.519,"end_s":172.239,"text":"course this requires you to actually have the gadget on hand before you buy","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":169.76,"end_s":175.92,"text":"it but there is a database of wireshark readouts for a fair number of current","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":174.239,"end_s":179.44,"text":"client devices which we've linked down below in the video description along","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":177.599,"end_s":183.599,"text":"with instructions on exactly what to look for and even if you jump through","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":181.2,"end_s":188.4,"text":"all these hoops to get both a router and a client device that supports","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":185.36,"end_s":190.8,"text":"beamforming remember that beamforming is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":188.4,"end_s":195.36,"text":"one way so you don't get the same advantages when the client is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":192.239,"end_s":197.92,"text":"transmitting back to the router so don't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":195.36,"end_s":201.84,"text":"expect it to improve your upload speeds at the end of the day i wouldn't call","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":199.68,"end_s":205.68,"text":"beamforming snake oil but it also probably isn't worth going on a perilous","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":204.0,"end_s":209.28,"text":"quest to make it part of your wi-fi setup","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":207.2,"end_s":213.12,"text":"so thanks to drop in the thx panda wireless headphones for sponsoring this","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":211.04,"end_s":217.68,"text":"video they claim it's the world's most distortion free wireless headphone these","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":215.92,"end_s":221.28,"text":"are closed headphones so all that high quality is nicely contained and they","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":219.36,"end_s":227.84,"text":"benefit from community center design they use thx aaa amplifier technology","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":224.239,"end_s":229.36,"text":"and ldac plus qualcomm qc5125 technology","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":227.84,"end_s":232.72,"text":"they offer 30 hours of wireless life dual microphones bluetooth connectivity","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":231.44,"end_s":238.239,"text":"and they're compatible with all sorts of digital assistants they come with a detachable gaming mic and the whole","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":236.08,"end_s":241.439,"text":"thing weighs just 375 grams pre-order today at the link below so thanks for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":240.159,"end_s":244.879,"text":"watching guys if you like this video like it subscribe and be sure to hit us","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":243.28,"end_s":249.68,"text":"up in the comments section with your ideas for topics that we should cover in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":246.959,"end_s":249.68,"text":"the future","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"it's common sense that aiming something in the direction you want it to go is generally helpful whether you're shooting a hockey puck or visiting the men's room but what about wi-fi i mean those little antennas that stick up from your home router just kind of blast the signal or it's in a 360 degree donut shape which is fine but what if you could aim your wi-fi signal toward the spots in your house where your gadgets actually are it turns out that this is a real technique and it's called beam forming but does it really work as advertised to answer we spoke with our friend and wi-fi expert joel crane and we'd like to thank him for giving us a nice strong assist so beam forming can be implemented in one of two ways one is to stick a bunch of antennas inside an access point and because each tenant is in a different physical spot they'll all produce slightly different coverage patterns the idea here is to decide which antenna combinations hear a client device like a phone most strongly whenever it's transmitting to the router so the router tries different combinations until it finds the best one then it can time the transmissions from each antenna so that they all converge at the same time at the spot where it thinks the client is it's kind of like throwing two rocks into a pond and seeing the the spot where the ripples come together to form one larger ripple this is called chip based beam forming and it was mainly pioneered by a company called ruckus but other manufacturers tend to use a different kind of beamforming built into the 802.11 ac standard called sounding based beamforming here the router continually talks to the client asking how good the signal is in order to decide how to time each broadcast from each antenna but whichever kind of beam forming you use though you do get the benefits of better speed at long range and better range overall up to ten percent better actually which can make a difference if you're trying to stream a video far from your router for example well that sounds great right but here's the issue when the ieee finalized the wireless ac standard it made sounding based beam forming optional and when part of a standard is merely optional it's like an optional workplace function nobody shows up so even if you buy an ac router that says it supports beamforming odds are your phones and other gadgets you have lying about do not and there are even plenty of higher end client devices that lack beam forming support making matters worse it's often very difficult to tell whether a client device does support it from just looking at a spec sheet the best way to tell is to use a packet capture program such as wireshark which will give you technical information on the connection including whether a connected device supports beamforming of course this requires you to actually have the gadget on hand before you buy it but there is a database of wireshark readouts for a fair number of current client devices which we've linked down below in the video description along with instructions on exactly what to look for and even if you jump through all these hoops to get both a router and a client device that supports beamforming remember that beamforming is one way so you don't get the same advantages when the client is transmitting back to the router so don't expect it to improve your upload speeds at the end of the day i wouldn't call beamforming snake oil but it also probably isn't worth going on a perilous quest to make it part of your wi-fi setup so thanks to drop in the thx panda wireless headphones for sponsoring this video they claim it's the world's most distortion free wireless headphone these are closed headphones so all that high quality is nicely contained and they benefit from community center design they use thx aaa amplifier technology and ldac plus qualcomm qc5125 technology they offer 30 hours of wireless life dual microphones bluetooth connectivity and they're compatible with all sorts of digital assistants they come with a detachable gaming mic and the whole thing weighs just 375 grams pre-order today at the link below so thanks for watching guys if you like this video like it subscribe and be sure to hit us up in the comments section with your ideas for topics that we should cover in the future"}