
So what happens if you have more or less spatial streams/radios available? 2.4GHz 802.11 Wireless Networking Standards Again, this is assuming that the AP is performing in perfect lab conditions and utilising all of its available spatial streams at the highest possible modulation.

For example, an 802.11ac 2x2:2 wireless access point of any manufacturer, will commonly report its data rate within the 2.4GHz spectrum as 300Mbps, 867Mbps in the 5Ghz spectrum and aggregate speed of 1267Mbps of 1.2Gbps (300Mbps + 867Mbps). Quite typically, this can be achieved by following a set pattern based on that Access Points specifications. So how can you calculate an Access Points data rate?

However, calculating data rates and using these for advertising purposes is common practice among wireless manufacturers and resellers alike. The truth of it, is that real-time throughput speeds are always a mere percentage of these data rates, usually less than 50% due to wireless being a half-duplex medium. As any wireless professional will tell you, data rates or signalling rates are the theoretical speeds that a wireless access point can provide under perfect lab conditions, using all available spatial streams at the highest possible modulation rate.
