HP V-M200 802.

11n
Access Point Report

A Broadband-Testing Report
By Steve Broadhead, Founder & Director, BB-T

V-M200 AP Test

First published November 2010 (V1.0)

Published by Broadband-Testing
A division of Connexio-Informatica 2007, Andorra
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2010 Broadband-Testing
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ 1

BROADBAND-TESTING ..................................................................................... 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION: WIRELESS LAN AT WIRED SPEEDS ........................................ 4
HP V-M200 802.11N ACCESS POINT: PRODUCT OVERVIEW.............................. 7
PUT TO THE TEST ........................................................................................... 10
Installation, Deployment and Management ............................................... 10
Performance Testing.............................................................................. 13
802.11n 5GHz Test..................................................................... 14
802.11n 2.4GHz Office Simulation Test.......................................... 15
QoS Test................................................................................... 16
Rogue AP Detection Test ........................................................................ 17
SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................... 18
APPENDIX: 802.11 CLIENTS - MATCHING SPEEDS AND FEEDS: NOT AS SIMPLE AS YOU
MIGHT THINK................................................................................................. 19

Figure 1 WLAN Trends......................................................................................................................................................4

Figure 2 MIMO Technology ...............................................................................................................................................5
Figure 3 V-M200 AP .........................................................................................................................................................7
Figure 4 V-M200 User Interface.........................................................................................................................................8
Figure 5 V-M200 Quick Setup..........................................................................................................................................10
Figure 6 V-M200 Quick Setup: Choosing Wireless Mode......................................................................................................11
Figure 7 V-M200 UI: Wireless Configuration Options ..........................................................................................................11
Figure 8 V-M200 UI: Wireless Community Configuration Options .........................................................................................12
Figure 9 V-M200 UI: Wireless Rates Information ...............................................................................................................13
Figure 10 V-M200 Test: SMB Office Simulation..................................................................................................................13
Figure 11 802.11n Client Connection Speed at 5GHz Frequency ..........................................................................................14
Figure 12 802.11n Client Connection Speed at 2.4GHz Frequency .......................................................................................15
Figure 13 802.11n Performance at 2.4GHz Frequency ........................................................................................................15
Figure 14 802.11n Client Connection Response Time at 2.4GHz Frequency ...........................................................................16
Figure 15 QoS Configuration ...........................................................................................................................................17
Figure 16 Rogue AP Detection .........................................................................................................................................17

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The introduction of 802.11n technology has finally brought wired LAN type
speeds to the WLAN world.
However, speed without supporting features such as enterprise-class security,
WLAN management and traffic control features in an Access Point (AP) means
that a Small/Medium Business (SMB) has no means of taking advantage of the
potential throughput benefits of 802.11n.
From a client perspective, 802.11n is a very complex technology; there are
many different technology variations and configuration possibilities, so it is
important to understand exactly what your clients are capable of delivering.
We found that the V-M200 AP from HP provided us with the required
enterprise-class features in combination with every possible 802.11n
configuration variation available. As such it is a very flexible solution.
From a day-to-day management perspective, the V-M200 has only a graphical
user interface from which all features can be accessed, without the need for a
command line interface. This makes it suitable for a typical SMB environment
where highly technical IT staff are unlikely to be present.
Initial deployment is accelerated by the use of a quick setup option which
guides the user through several typical configuration options.
We tested the V-M200 in two different environments; one optimised for
performance, the other optimised for supporting a broad range of current and
legacy WLAN clients.
In a 5GHz 802.11n frequency range we were able to connect at 300Mbps and
see peak performance of around 270Mbps.
With a mix of active current and legacy clients we were able to sustain client
performance at near Fast Ethernet wired speed equivalents and peak at around
120Mbps with our HP ProBook 5310m laptop clients.
With support for up to four wireless communities/VLANs, we were able to
create separate guest access with completely different performance and feature
profiles to the internal office community we created ideal for providing casual
Internet access to office visitors, for example.
Using the wireless community based QoS functionality, we were able to quickly
change prioritisation between different communities; again showing real
flexibility.
We successfully tested the Rogue AP detection feature, identifying a 3rd party
AP and adding it to our trusted AP list.

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INTRODUCTION: WIRELESS LAN AT WIRED SPEEDS

In world terms, IT itself is still in its infancy and the Internet even more so.
Yet we are already in a world where users expect connectivity anytime, anywhere,
anyplace and that means wireless connectivity. Laptop computers and even smartphones,
have become a standard working tool, replacing the static desktop PC in many cases.
Mobility within the business, while traveling and at the close of office hours plus
network access from the home or home office, is seen as contributing to increased
employee productivity, so is being actively encouraged.
At the same time, the rapid adoption of wireless networks in the home means that use
expectations are higher than ever when it comes to connectivity in the workplace itself.
And, as wireless becomes adopted globally, so the technology itself continues to develop.
It may have been some time being ratified, but fully-standardised 802.11n is now with
us, superseding both the .11a standard that supports the 5GHz frequency and the .11b/g
standards that support the 2.4GHz frequency, in that it actually supports both ranges.

Figure 1 WLAN Trends

So what exactly does it offer from a user perspective? Key benefits over previous WLAN
standards include longer range, and higher maximum data transfer rates, thanks to a
completely revised architecture. 802.11n data transfer rates are designed to be the
approximate equivalent of a 10/100 wired connection thereby in theory at least
providing a true wired replacement and adoption of wireless as a practical primary means
of connecting to the network in some cases.
Clearly in small to medium businesses (SMBs) and branch/remote offices of larger
companies this makes a lot of sense reducing the cabling requirements and therefore
ongoing maintenance, while also making it easier to support casual visitors; for example
guest access to the Internet. From a performance perspective, while the previous
generation 802.11g added nothing new so-called 54Mbps (or 108Mbps in turbo mode)
realistically maxing out at around 23Mbps the emerging 802.11n standard gives us real
performance for the first time.
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Supporting a theoretical maximum throughput of 300Mbps in its current incarnation

(potentially 600Mbps), realistically we can look for 100Mbps+ for the first time from a
WLAN a leap akin that what Fast Ethernet in switched mode gave us over shared
10Mbps Ethernet in the wired world all those years ago.

Figure 2 MIMO Technology

Not only does 802.11n offer more pure bandwidth but, with its MIMO (Multiple-Input
Multiple-Output) transmitter/antenna architecture and support for channel-bonding, the
new standard lends itself far better to sustained throughput and scalability than the
previous standards did. MIMO technology employs multiple spatially diverse transmit
antennas to actually encourage the signals to traverse multiple paths and multiple receive
antennas to extract additional information from the signals that do so. MIMO algorithms
in the receive device correlate and recombine the signals, realizing diversity gain, i.e., an
increase in signal strength, in the process. MIMO technology doubles the spectral
efficiency.
The introduction of .11n technology takes RF-based WLAN closer to the wired world than
ever before and therefore looks set to further expand the appeal of WiFi to old and new
users and to increase adoption of new applications. Of course, performance is only one
aspect to consider here; data confidentiality and network integrity must be controlled
more than ever as the network becomes more accessible. Equally, as either a true
extension of the wired edge, or a wired replacement in its own right, a WLAN must also
be able to support new wave applications such as VoIP and the dramatic rise in video
usage. With the V-M200 Access Point (AP) HP is looking to provide enterprise level
security and data management features in a small, easy to deploy device that ticks all of
these boxes.

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All WLAN Products Are Equal?

So, WLANs have become almost public property; they are in homes, they are in offices,
hotels, shopping centres, coffee shops, burger bars you name it.
Does this, then, mean that all WLANs have become commodity products and all
technologies are the same, regardless of vendor? In short, no. While the kind of low-cost
wireless AP product aimed at the home user is very much commodity and standardised in
its feature set, WLAN products aimed at the business community need to be broader in
their functionality. This means you can expect to see more and better security options
including rogue AP detection, some Quality of Service (QoS) functionality and broader
management options.
Cost of ownership is an important differentiator. While headline product features may
attract individuals to that product in the first place, on a day-to day basis, overall cost of
ownership becomes an equally important factor.
There are two key elements here, ease of use and long-term reliability. In the past, too
many vendors used the enterprise class label on their products as an excuse to make
them overly complicated to set up and manage, but this is totally unacceptable in these
days of computing ubiquity; indeed, it always was. Both from a user and reseller
perspective, ongoing product costs are directly associated with the amount of training and
support required. Minimise these and operating expenses (OpEx) remain low.
Not only must a WLAN perform as it should and be easy to manage; it must keep on
performing reliably, day-in, day-out. This is not as much a given as it sounds. APs find
themselves located in all kinds of different ways, so for every computer-controlled, airconditioned office there are many other environments an AP finds itself in, notably in
small businesses in old offices think City of London, for example, branch offices and
similar, where there is no protection and the temperatures can vary enormously between
winter and summer. Yet it must keep on working regardless.
Here it is also important to stress the value of a good warranty, a lifetime one being the
ideal scenario. It is worth noting here that some vendors offer a limited lifetime warranty,
excluding certain key elements such as fans, which are among the most common to fail.
What you should be looking for ideally, therefore, is an unlimited lifetime warranty.

The HP V-M200 AP our report focuses on here is very much looking to offer enterpriseclass features and ease of use in equal measure; office-level functionality for home user
levels of technical ability never an easy match.
So lets now take a look at the product and see if it delivers in practise.

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HP V-M200 802.11N ACCESS POINT: PRODUCT

OVERVIEW
Since its acquisition of Enterprise WLAN specialist Colubris Networks in 2009, HP has been
able to significantly expand its wireless offerings.

Figure 3 V-M200 AP

Designed for the SMB environment, the HP V-M200 802.11n Access Point takes elements
from HPs Enterprise Mobility Access Point Series, and packs them into a small device with
a simplified user interface. The idea is to get the best of both worlds enterprise-class
features but without the need for expert technicians onsite. A single V-M200 AP supports
up to 64 wireless clients. It has a single radio but dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz)
operation, the former providing support for 802.11b/g clients while the latter supports
.11a legacy clients.
Power options are versatile; either a mains adapter can be used, or the device can be
powered via Power over Ethernet (PoE) in the form of an IEEE 802.3af compliant
10/100/1000 Ethernet port and an Ethernet switch with PoE enabled ports (see test
section for example). These are the only physical ports on the AP. The only other external
features are four LEDs for status indication. Mounting options are also flexible in that the
V-M200 can be mounted on a desk, a wall, or on the ceiling.
Equally flexible are the antenna options. The V-M200 features detachable antennas, which
can be replaced if required, or positioned as required. Using two V-M200s allows SMBs to
support both frequencies, thereby guaranteeing a combination of high performance and
support for legacy clients. Channel bonding is also supported.

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As we stated, the idea with the V-M200 is to offer enterprise type features but with easy
access to them. To this end, the AP features a secure (https) web UI with a Quick Setup
option which consolidates key settings onto one page, aimed at simple and rapid
configuration for most common deployment scenarios. There is no underlying Command
Line Interface as with some products; in this case all the features are accessed via the
GUI which has manager and operator privilege levels; the latter provides read-only
while the former option provides read-write access levels for AP management.
The AP also supports IEEE 802.1AB Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP), an automated
device discovery protocol that provides easy mapping by network management
applications. So, in addition to the UI, the V-M200 also integrates with HP ProCurve
Manager which enables discovery and mapping of the network. This is available as a free
download from the Internet.

Figure 4 V-M200 User Interface

Guest access is readily catered for in that there is an easy configuration deployment
option whereby the guests can be allocated a separate SSID which can also be on a
separate VLAN, notably when used in conjunction with a VLAN enabled switch such as the
HP E2520-8G-PoE Switch used in this test configuration. Guests can be provided with a
password that only provides them access to certain resources like an internet connection,
or the guest network can simply be unsecured.
In total 4 Wireless Communities/SSIDs can be configured. Each can have separate
settings for Quality of Service (QoS), security, and VLANs (one per community), with
802.1Q VLAN tagging supported. Spanning Tree Protocol (IEEE 802.1D) is also supported
to prevent network loops.

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A number of QoS features are provided, including Wireless Community Based

Prioritisation which allows the administrator to ensure key network traffic is prioritised by
weighting specific Wireless Communities (see later).
IEEE 802.1p prioritisation is also supported, as is DiffServ, prioritising data based on
traffic classification. There is also an Auto Channel Select (ACS) function which helps
reduce radio co-channel interference by automatically selecting an unoccupied radio
channel. Additionally the V-M200 supports Wireless Distribution System (WDS) modes AP and WDS Bridge, AP Only and WDS Bridge Only. It allows V-M200s to connect
wirelessly to other V-M200s without the need for a wired backbone. Clearly this is useful
for extending the network across areas where no wired infrastructure exists.
Security wise, the V-M200 supports all the mainstream authentication and encryption
options, such as IEEE 802.1X authentication using EAP-SIM,EAP-FAST, EAP-TLS, EAPTTLS, and PEAP, MAC address authentication using local or RADIUS access lists and
RADIUS AAA using EAP-MD5, PAP, CHAP, and MS-CHAPv2.
From an encryption perspective, options include IEEE 802.11i, WEP, WPA or WPA2 with
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) or Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)
encryption.
Other options include local wireless bridge client traffic filtering which, when enabled,
prevents communication between wireless devices associated with the same AP. There is
also a closed system options which restricts broadcast of SSIDs as a security measure to
conceal the presence of the wireless network. In this lock-down an AP does not respond
to the wireless client probe request of "ANY" as it would in standard non-broadcast mode.
A rogue AP detection feature is also provided which identifies all AP in range and allows
the administrator to save these as known or trusted APs or to investigate further (see
later).
A number of traffic monitoring and diagnostics tools are also provided, such as client
event log records association, authentication, and DHCP events, a packet capture tool for
Ethernet and IEEE 802.11 interfaces (PCAP format), a data rate matrix and a remote
SYSLOG option.
From an investment perspective, importantly the AP features a lifetime hardware
warranty.

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PUT TO THE TEST

Installation, Deployment and Management
With the V-M200, HP provides a quick setup option, designed to get most businesses up
and running quickly.

Figure 5 V-M200 Quick Setup

The idea is that the interface presents you with a choice of common configuration such
as:

Basic wireless setup

Multiple wireless networks

Multiple wireless networks with wired VLANs

Multiple wireless networks with RADIUS authentication

Depending on which you choose, the setup then takes you through a different set of
procedures, relevant to that particular setup. Of course, all configuration options can be
changed and saved afterwards via the UI, but this is a good attempt at turning a
relatively complicated deployment into, while not exactly a point n click exercise, a fasttrack method for quick installations.
One common requirement, once the basic wireless network has been established is to
choose which wireless mode of operation you will use.

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Figure 6 V-M200 Quick Setup: Choosing Wireless Mode

For the sake of testing in both an ideal (for high performance) environment, and in a
backwards compatible (real-world for many SMBs) environment, we tested in both
dedicated 5GHz and 2.4GHz modes and in 802.11n/b/g (2.4GHz) modes. When changing
wireless mode, the AP only took a few seconds to reset itself. Once up and running, all UI
options are available (in manager admin mode). A top menu presents you with a series
of main options: Home, Wireless, Network, Authentication, Management, Status, Tools
and Maintenance, beneath each of which is a submenu that varies in terms of options
depending on the top menu option chosen.

Figure 7 V-M200 UI: Wireless Configuration Options

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For example, under Wireless, you can configure/change Communities, view Client
connections, configure Radio settings, WDS (if you want to interconnect APs) and carry
out Rogue AP detection.
Clicking on a created community/client or equivalent takes you down to another set of
options. For example, clicking on a Wireless community you have created such as
Broadband-Testing in the illustration above takes you to a complete configuration
screen where you can change everything from SSID and VLAN settings to security
authentication and encryption settings. For our testing we used WPA2 encryption, with a
pre-shared key since it is very simple to setup for any SMB.

Figure 8 V-M200 UI: Wireless Community Configuration Options

Typically, once a configuration has been established and deployed, the primary use of the
UI other than adding new WLANs or communities is to monitor the network. Here, the
V-M200 scores very highly and notably against products designed more for the home
office market, as it enables you to monitor every aspect of the network, its performance
and the clients that are attached. For example, under the Status menu option, you can
access detailed information on the wireless network, the attached clients, any WDS links,
wireless rates (for each mode enabled), port activity, LLDP information (devices
discovered on the network) and general system information.
These options are supplemented by a number of logs event, system and remote plus
a detailed breakdown of almost every aspect of the AP activity, such as interface
information, current RAM contents, flow control stats you name it You can also carry
out network traces, pings and even iPerf testing as the AP includes integrated iPerf
server/client agents. Maintenance options include backup/restore of configs and software
update uploads.

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Figure 9 V-M200 UI: Wireless Rates Information

Performance Testing
For the performance testing, as we indicated earlier, we had two test setups one a
simple 802.11n client to AP working in the 5GHz frequency band and a second office
simulation setup with a number of different laptop clients running on a mix of
802.11n/b/g modes in the 2.4GHz frequency band, similar to that shown below.

Figure 10 V-M200 Test: SMB Office Simulation

As part of our office simulation test bed we used an HP E2520G switch (ex ProCurve
2520G switch) see separate report on this switch, downloadable from www.broadband Broadband-Testing 1995-2010 13

V-M200 AP Test
testing.co.uk which gave us the opportunity to connect our AP directly via the Ethernet
port as the switch is PoE enabled. This would be our recommended deployment
methodology from a power perspective. It also means that the switch and AP can be
managed from a single management interface (HP PCM), and switch details can also be
viewed from the V-M200s LLDP Status screen.

802.11n 5GHz Test

With the AP set to 802.11n 5GHz mode (in a 40MHz channel environment) it is possible
with a dual band transmit/receive stream compatible wireless card (see appendix) to
achieve a 300Mbps connection speed.

Figure 11 802.11n Client Connection Speed at 5GHz Frequency

For the record, using an HP 6930p laptop with an Intel 5100 wireless card connected to
the V-M200 AP, even at a distance of 20-30 feet it is possible to achieve a 300Mbps
connection speed and see peak throughput of around 270Mbps.
802.11n Clients A True Minefield
Just because you have an 802.11n client and AP, it doesnt mean that you can achieve a
full 300Mbps connection speed, or even close. This is because there are several 802.11n
technologies on the market, so client adapters vary significantly in terms of their
capabilities. See the Appendix in this report for more details and how to find out what
your .11n client is capable of delivering.

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802.11n 2.4GHz Office Simulation Test

For our office simulation, we set the V-M200 to 802.11n/b/g (2.4GHz) compatible mode
and connected clients operating in each of these modes.

Figure 12 802.11n Client Connection Speed at 2.4GHz Frequency

In each case we had no problems connecting to the V-M200. We used a number of 3rd
party (non-HP) devices, achieving a 130Mbps connection speed with our .11n clients. We
were able to monitor connection speeds using the client connection monitoring within the
V-M200 UI, as shown above. Using Ixias IxChariot (http://www.ixchariot.com/) to
generate http traffic across our test WLAN, we were able to peak at 118Mbps in .11n
mode only and 90Mbps+ with multiple clients connected see graph below.

Figure 13 802.11n Performance at 2.4GHz Frequency

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Figure 14 802.11n Client Connection Response Time at 2.4GHz Frequency

Equally importantly, response time was sub-second (see above); excellent for a wireless
client in a loaded traffic environment. In normal conditions, we would expect to see
significantly lower (better) response times and did indeed see sub 50ms response times
in most tests with less stress on the network in .11g mode and sub 5ms response times
in .11n mode.

Radio Power
One invisible aspect of APs is the relative power of their radios.
This is important in extending the reach of the wireless signal to the wireless clients. A
short range means the requirement for additional APs, adding both capital and operating
expense, as it increases the management workload, as well as requiring more skills when
deploying multiple APs, in order to avoid cross-interference from competing channels and
the performance reductions this brings.
So we compared the reach/connection speeds of the V-M200 with a 3rd party AP designed
primarily for home/small office use. We found that, typically, the signal strength of a
client attached to the V-M200 was twice that of the 3rd party AP in identical situations.

QoS Test
In order to test the QoS capabilities, we set up two wireless communities, a primary
community (for office staff) and a guest community for basic Internet access. We
prioritised the primary Broadband-Testing community as high priority and the guest
community as low priority and ran IxChariot tests again to compare relative performance
across each community.

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Figure 15 QoS Configuration

Using a mix of live clients - .11n on the Broadband-Testing network and .11g on the
guest network, we measured one .11n client on the Broadband-Testing network and a
.11g client on the guest network. On the initial run bearing in mind that we had several
clients sharing the total bandwidth available we measured the .11n Broadband-Testing
client at 25.4Mbps and the .11g client on the guest network at just 2.2Mbps. We then
reversed the prioritisation, but continued with .11n clients on the Broadband-Testing
network (now low priority) and .11g clients on the guest network (now high priority) and
measured the improvement in bandwidth available for the .11g client. We saw this
increase almost 500% to 10.86Mbps per client on the guest network, while response time
also fell from an original 49ms to just 7.4ms.

Rogue AP Detection Test

In addition to the performance testing we also wanted to ensure that the rogue AP
detection feature on the V-M200 worked correctly. So we added in a 3rd party AP with the
SSID Leeds and checked the Rogue AP detection screen on the management UI to see
if it had discovered the AP. When enabled, the V-M200 scans automatically for rogue APs.
It found ours within a few seconds of enabling the rogue AP and listed it for us to
authorise or otherwise see below.

Figure 16 Rogue AP Detection

On discovering the AP we were then able to authorise this particular one and add it to a
trusted list of APs.
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SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS

Our testing of the HP V-M200 AP showed us that it is possible for an SMB with little or no
in-house IT specialists to benefit from enterprise-class WLAN deployments and take
advantage of the performance benefits that the IEEE 802.11n standard has brought to
the wireless world.
In pure 802.11n 5GHz mode, it is realistic to connect client depending (see Appendix)
at 300Mbps and see throughput of around 270Mbps. In mixed environments, supporting
legacy 802.11b/g clients at 2.4GHz it is still a realistic expectation to match Fast Ethernet
wired speeds when using a .11n client.
Additional features such as QoS enabled us to prioritise primary traffic over guest traffic,
meaning you can easily accommodate office visitors and provide them with basic Internet
access via your WLAN with no impact on general office applications. From a security
perspective, different groups can be secured in many different ways, both in terms of
authentication and encryption, again ideal for accommodating guest visitors. The
integrated rogue AP detection feature also worked successfully.
The big plus point of the V-M200 AP is its flexibility in all aspects of delivery, from setting
up different wireless user groups (communities) with different priority levels and security
requirements, to supporting all variations of 2.4/5GHz operation and the wireless
standards supported at each frequency. The only limit in this respect is that the AP has
just one radio, so it is not possible to operate in both frequencies simultaneously.
However, two or more V-M200s can operate together and use different frequencies.
Moreover, high speed connections can be created between them without the need for
wired connectivity.
More flexibility arrives in the options for powering the APs, notably when using PoE as we
did during testing. In conjunction with the HP E2520G switch, as tested here, it means
that you can support multiple AP configurations with zero requirement for power supplies,
other than for the switch itself.
From a day-to-day management perspective, with just a management GUI (and no
command line interface) required to access all features, operating expenses should be
low, with no requirement for IT specialists to manage the network. At the same time, the
V-M200 provides a huge amount of status information on every aspect of the WLAN and
the clients themselves in case you need to access it. This is the kind of feature that
separates this level of product from those designed specifically for home or small office
use and anyone looking to provide WLAN access in an SMB environment should seriously
consider the HP V-M200.

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APPENDIX: 802.11 CLIENTS - MATCHING SPEEDS AND

FEEDS: NOT AS SIMPLE AS YOU MIGHT THINK.
Even if your client supports 802.11n there is actually a wide range of client capabilities
that mean one client is not necessarily like another.
In other words, just because it supports 802.11n does not mean it is capable of delivering
a full 300Mbps. This is because there are several 802.11n technologies on the market. So
how do you work out exactly what you have got? The best way to find out what your
client is capable of is to look at the Wi-Fi Alliance Certification. All certified products are
publically posted.
Taking an Intel 5100 wireless card as an example, first you need to look at the transmit
and receive streams:

If, as above, your client adapter is capable of two streams in each direction, this allows
for a maximum of 150Mbps per stream, provided you have all of the other capabilities.
Next you need to look at the optional capabilities:

Short Guard Interval

Greenfield Preamble

40MHz operation in 5GHz mode

HT Duplicate (MCS 32)

Finally, you can take a look at the MCS Index Table at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11n-2009

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Using the client illustration from earlier, those two spatial streams allow a client to get to
MCS Index 15. Supporting 40MHz channels allows for maximum throughput of 270Mbps.
Finally, the Short Guard Interval (400ns GI) allows the client to reach the full 300Mbps.
Lets look at another client, in this case an HP G50 Notebook PC with an Atheros AR9280
802.11abgn MiniCard - http://certifications.wi-fi.org/pdf_certificate.php?cid=WFA6259

As you can see, this product only supports 1 spatial stream. Furthermore, if you look at
the optional capabilities, youll see:
- 40MHz operation in 5GHz.
Because this product only has 1 spatial stream, it is only capable of MCS 7 at the
maximum.

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And even though it does support a 40MHz channel, it doesnt support Short Guard band
Interval (i.e. in only supports 800ns GI).
Therefore, even if you have the highest performance Access Point in the universe, and
youre sitting right on top of it, youre never going to exceed 135Mbps because your client
isnt capable of higher speeds.

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