These contacts are used to activate an appliance, such as a garage door opener, an electric strike or an electromagnetic lock. In the basic electric strike system illustration above, a normally open switch is closed to allow power to flow to a fail secure electric strike. A wireless door release system substitutes a wireless receiver for the normally open switch in the illustration. One big difference is that, unlike a normally open switch, the wireless receiver requires power. Below is an illustration of the same electric strike system using a wireless receiver. Notice in the illustration above that I have shown a power supply with separate outputs to power the receiver and the electric strike. I recommend this method to simplify wiring. The biggest obstacle to having a completely wireless system is the electric locking device. At 12 volts DC, the receiver will probably draw less than 100mA during activation and less than half of that while on standby. It could certainly be powered by a couple of lantern batteries.
Some electric strikes draw as little as 240mA at 12 volts DC, but even that will exhaust batteries quickly. Wiring can be reduced by creating a battery operated wireless release system. To create a battery powered system, use a stand-alone electronic access control lock such as the Alarm Lock Trilogy that comes standard with remote release, or the Kaba-Ilco Eplex with optional remote release. These locks are battery operated independently of your wireless release system. TroubleshootingWireless release system installations are more complicated these days because the system now must share the airwaves with a lot more stuff. Wireless routers, cellular and microwave towers, radio communications facilities and even computers can interfere with the wireless release system. Notice on the illustrated wireless receivers in this article the bank of "dip switches." Dip switches are small rocker switches with two positions: on and off. Thinking of the dip switches in terms of computer logic, "on" would equal a one, while "off" would equal a zero.
The ones and zeros you input via the dip switch bank communicate to the logic board the frequency at which to transmit or receive. Many wireless receivers use dip switches to select the radio frequency that the system uses. Dip switch settings in the receiver and transmitter must match in order for the system to work. If your system is not working, make sure the frequency settings between the transmitter and receiver match. If they do, and the system still doesn't work, the problem may be radio interference. Select another frequency in both transmitter and receiver and try again. Repeat until the system works. If this method does not work, the interference problem may be insurmountable and you may not be able to use a wireless system. In Rockefeller Center, in NYC, for example, the doppler radar system used to track local weather effectively prohibits use of wireless products (including cell phones) above a certain floor. If there is a radar installation or microwave antenna farm near your wireless release system installation, that might be the reason it does not work.
Home » Faq » Wireless Networking FAQ Is 5GHz Wireless better than 2.4GHz ? Tags: 5GHz, 2.4GHz, Wireless, 802.11 Wireless computer network equipment typically uses radio signals in either a 2.4 GHz range or a 5 GHz range.The GHz range of a wireless radio is only partially related to the speed of a wireless network. For example, 802.11a wireless operates at 5GHz and 802.11g at 2.4GHz, but both support the same maximum data rate of 54 Mbps. However, newer 802.11n and 802.11ac routers have the capability of simultaneous dual-band operation on both 5GHz and 2.4GHz ranges, allowing clients to connect on different bands for more flexibility and less interference. 802.11ac specifically expands on that, running entirely in the 5GHz band.Advantages of 5GHz:The 5GHz band is less likely to be congested. The 2.4GHz frequency range is much more prone to interference, as it is commonly used by other wireless networks in the area, as well as cordless phones, garage door openers and other home appliances and consumer products.
The 5GHz band can also offer much higher throughput (using the right technology) with the same channel width. It has 23 non-overlapping channels vs. only 3 in the 2.4 GHz band. 802.11ac in the 5GHz band implements many newer technologies, such as, MU-MIMO, beamforming, etc.Disadvantages of 5GHz:In general, the higher the frequency of a wireless signal, the shorter its range. Thus, 2.4GHz networks cover a substantially larger range than 5GHz wireless networks. In particular, the higher frequency wireless signals of 5GHz networks do not penetrate solid objects nearly as well as 2.4GHz signals, limiting their reach inside buildings with solid walls and floors. Recent 802.11ac devices, however, are able to mitigate some of this disatvantage by using beamforming.The Bottom Line:5GHz and 2.4GHz are simply different frequencies, each with its advantages and disadvantages. To get the best of both worlds, many recent 802.11ac routers have the capability for dual-band operation in both ranges simultaneously.