T300 & T310 antenna gain and TX sensitivity

[andreas_georgio]

Hello, I would just like to know what is the relation between the antenna gain of an AP and Beamflex+. From information I have gathered from various sources, it seems that Beamflex directly affects the initial gain of an antenna by adding additional dbi. Is this statement correct? If not, how does Beamflex affect the physical antenna gain of an AP?

Also, I have seen on the R500 datasheet that the AP has a physical antenna gain of 3dbi but also has a Beamflex TX and RX gain.. This detail is missing from other APs like T300 and T310. Does Beamflex provide additional gain on outdoor APs? Or is this a functionality reserved only for indoor APs (or APs that support Beamflex+)?

Thank you in advance for your help

[ed_ed_7394745]

Antenna gain is calculated based on a known standard called an Isotropic antenna.  This type of antenna does not exist but would be one that equally emits energy in all directiosn with no loss points.  Only the sun can do this.  With any normal antenna you have a cable connection point which is a null and the opposite side which is also a reduced signal level location.  Depending on the gain of the antenna, if it is an omni, the higher the gain the flatter the donut shaped coverage around the antenna.  On a directional, the more narrow the beam that the antenna creates but vertically and horizontally.  
The advantage of using an antenna is that the link-budget is effected in a positive way in both directions.  
BeamFlex is an intelligent antenna array of directional antennas that transmit omni directionally when beaconing but when transmitting to a specific user will send all the energy in one direction, towards that user, and each user when it is their turn to recieve data from the ap.  
You may want to review the BeamFlex training video on the training site, https://training.ruckuswireless.com/course/view.php?id=812.  You can also find several on youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvIu_g3nN4g&t=17s. 

If you use an external antenna on an ap you loose the intelligent antenna array and only get the capabilities of the external antenna you are choosing.  

Hope this helps.  

[eizens_putnins]

Hi,
This gain numbers are not that interesting in real life, as data transmission is affected by many different things, and antenna gains are nice, but process is that complicated, that it can be explained by such trivial and simple numbers as antenna gain. Ruckus has many improvements, Beamflex+ being one of the most visible, but it doesn't mean that invisible improvements made by Ruckus are less important. For example, typically interference mitigation has much higher impact than gust higher antenna gain (6-10 db interference    
mitigation usually have much more impact than some 1-4 db of antenna gain.
At the end, what is important is that Ruckus AP work great. 
And yes, all current Ruckus AP have Beamflex antennas.
Hope it helps,