What Is MU-MIMO?
“MIMO” stands for “Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output”, and it refers to the way bandwidth is broken up by a router and pushed to individual devices. Most modern routers use “SU-MIMO”, or “Single User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output”. With these routers, only one device can receive data at any given time. This means that if you have one person watching Netflix and another watching Youtube, if you were to start both those streams at the exact same time, one device would get priority while the other had to wait until the first had buffered a few bits of data for itself.
“MU-MIMO” routers, on the other hand (“Multiple User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output”) are able to break up this bandwidth into separate, individual streams that each share the connection evenly, no matter the application. It’s like each device getting its own “private” router, up to four total in 4×4 MU-MIMO loadouts.
MU-MIMO Benefits:
This decreases the time each device has to wait for a signal and dramatically speeds up your network.
- Both MU-MIMO and non-MU-MIMO (SU-MIMO) devices operate faster because all devices on the network have less time to wait to get data from the WiFi router.
- MU-MIMO technology increases the capacity and efficiency of your router, allowing it to handle more WiFi-intensive activities such as streaming and gaming.
The Drawbacks of MU-MIMO
there’s one big drawback: in order for MU-MIMO to actually work, both the router and the receiving device need to have full MU-MIMO compatibility in order to communicate with one another.
, you can buy a compatible MU-MIMO wireless USB dongle for desktops or laptops, but they’re quite a bit more expensive than regular SU-MIMO receivers, which could prevent some users from taking the plunge.
courtesy:https://www.howtogeek.com/242793/what-is-mu-mimo-and-do-i-need-it-on-my-router/
https://www.linksys.com/us/r/resource-center/what-is-mu-mimo/