The Ruckus R650 is a mid-range indoor access point that’s ideal for medium density uses such as education, retail, and offices. The R650 can be fully managed via a ZoneDirector or SmartZone LAN controllers, or via Ruckus Cloud. The latter is their AI-enabled network management-as-a-service platform. Like any top-teir access point, Ruckus APs are very easy for the beginner to set up and manage. But any of these options will deliver reliable, secure, high-performance connectivity.
The Ruckus R650 by the numbers
The Ruckus R650 is an 802.11ac indoor access point with 4×4:4 (5GHz) and 2×2:2 (2.4GHz) streams. It can support up to 512 clients per AP. In addition, it has WPA3 and Bluetooth Low-Energy Radio. It is capable of pushing 2.4 Gbps in 5 GHZ and 574 Mbps in 2.4 GHz. These numbers speak for themselves, but a lot of what makes the R650 such a pleasure to use are it’s other built-in technologies.
Let’s start with the R650’s mesh technology, of which Ruckus was an early innovator. The way it works is, only one node (device) in the wireless mesh network needs to be directly wired to the Internet. That node shares the Internet access wirelessly with the nearest cluster of nodes, which then share it with their nearest cluster of nodes and so on.
That means that each individual node doesn’t need to be wired to anything. It only needs a power supply such as ordinary AC plugs or batteries. Outdoor nodes are encased in a weatherproof, protective shield and can be mounted anywhere including telephone pools, roofs, etc.
Wireless mesh networks are effective in sharing Internet connectivity because the more nodes you have, the further the signal travels. And, the more nodes you have, the stronger and faster the Internet connection becomes for the user.
R650 and BeamFlex
Another neat technology in the R650 is its handy BeamFlex Smart Antenna System. BeamFlex selects the clearest and highest quality signal path and optimum data rate for each receiving device.
Ordinary omnidirectional antennas radiate signals in all directions.
BeamFlex transmits energy towards the best path to the receiving device. Unlike fixed-positioned directional antennas, BeamFlex dynamically directs and re-directs its antenna pattern continually to get focused coverage within a given environment. As a result, you get greatly increased signal gain. Upshot: consistent connection, extended signal range, and less interference. This makes a difference you will probably both notice and like.
Did you say WPA3?
Yes. Wi-Fi Protected Access 3, or WPA3, is the next generation of Wi-Fi security. It provides cutting-edge security protocols. It is not, however, a proprietary Ruckus feature. But it is handy.
Simply put, WPA3 protects individual users better with more robust password-based authentication. And that’s even when users choose passwords that fall short of typical complexity recommendations. Among other things, users of WPA3-Personal receive increased protections from password guessing attempts. Additionally, users can choose passwords that are easier to remember, and data is protected even if a password is compromised after data transmission. Plus, these enhanced protections don’t change how users connect to a network
In conclusion, the Ruckus R650 indoor access point is an excellent choice for office buildings, K-12 classrooms, libraries and retail venues. With it’s Wi-Fi 6, on-board features, and well-regarded tech support, it’s truly hard to go wrong with this new device. It’s a beast in a home setting, and imminently scalable up to Enterprise applications. Plus, it’s designed to easily upgrade to emerging technologies with its pluggable IoT module.
So, if you have any questions, please reach out to Corporate Armor , or call 877-449-0458. And thanks for reading!