A specification sheet (spec sheet) provides detailed technical capabilities of a device, including supported Wi-Fi standards (e.g., 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), number of spatial streams, band support, and security protocols. This helps WLAN designers understand performance expectations and compatibility.

From CWDP-305:

“Specification sheets are critical for evaluating client capabilities. They include information about supported frequency bands, maximum data rates, MIMO capabilities, and supported security protocols.”

— Reference: CWDP-305 Official Study and Reference Guide, Chapter on Wireless Design Process

Band steering is a technique used to encourage dual-band clients to connect to the less congested 5 GHz band. However, some client devices are persistent and may not respond to steering attempts, continuing to probe only on the 2.4 GHz band. To ensure these clients can still connect to the network, band steering algorithms are designed to eventually allow association on the 2.4 GHz band after a certain number of ignored Probe Requests. This approach balances optimal network performance with client compatibility.

Extreme Networks Documentation

When deploying a WLAN that includes both WMM-PS (Wi-Fi Multimedia Power Save) certified devices and legacy devices that do not support WMM, it's important to understand the implications on performance and battery life.

WMM-PS, based on Unscheduled Automatic Power Save Delivery (U-APSD), allows client devices to conserve battery power by managing the time the device spends in sleep mode and reducing the need for frequent wake-ups.This mechanism is particularly beneficial for applications like VoIP, where timely delivery of packets is crucial.

However, legacy devices that do not support WMM-PS rely on older power-saving mechanisms, such as PS-Poll, which are less efficient.When both WMM-PS and non-WMM-PS devices operate on the same WLAN, the differences in power-saving capabilities can lead to inconsistencies in performance and battery life.Specifically, WMM-PS devices may experience better battery conservation and performance, while non-WMM-PS devices may have reduced efficiency.

This scenario is addressed in the CWDP-305 Official Study and Reference Guide, which emphasizes the importance of understanding client capabilities and their impact on WLAN performance.