60GHz band serves during a test to see if data centers can benefit

Jan 16, 2012 16:08 GMT  ·  By

We suppose it was just a matter of time before even servers and data centers started using wireless broadband.

It so happens that Microsoft and the University of Washington tested wireless networks on servers.

Since data centers sometimes get overloaded during peak times, administrators usually require them for extra connectivity.

What the latest test did was try to replace wires with the 60GHz wireless band.

In the end, the very fast directional network over short distances enabled a visible performance rise.

Small antennas were place on top of server racks to direct the signal. They were turned on by a central controller whenever more bandwidth was needed.

The setup needs direct line of sight and for the antenna direction to be finely tuned. In other words, normal access points can't use the solution, but server rooms can benefit from it greatly.