The benefits of Meru�s approach are many and varied, but particular advantages in an educational environment are:

� Single channel deployment. No detailed channel planning is required during initial installation or subsequent adds/moves/changes. All APs can operate on the same WiFi channel thus eliminating the complexity of planning to avoid interference. College IT teams can easily manage this environment without the need for partner involvement

� High client density. Meru eliminates the issues faced by traditional microcell wireless networks where anything more then twenty or so client devices will slow the network to an almost unusable state. Meru can maintain close to the peak throughput of an access point at anything up to the maximum client count per AP of 128. This is probably the most significant advantage of Meru in an educational context. The improved throughput allows ICT teachers to concentrate on using the technology rather than administering it.

� Mixed client interoperability. The presence of �older� 802.11b clients in later 802.11g/n networks results in significant drops in overall system throughput. The older clients drag the overall performance down to their level. Meru incorporates some intelligent �protection� schemes that minimise the impact of this type of disruption, making the network particularly effective where there is no local control over the client types using the network.

� Seamless roaming. Because Meru is a 4th Generation wireless network, delivering Virtual Cell and Virtual Port technology, client devices roaming through the network can move seamlessly between access points without loss of a single packet. In fact, from the perspective of the client device, the entire wireless network appears as one all-encompassing access point providing seamless mobility for the most demanding applications