I know that wifi routers are essentially weak microwaves but wouldn’t multiple antennas cause interference or so?
In: Technology
Since WiFi has to operate in complicated environments, and the chances of signals reflecting off of surfaces before reaching a device is high, There’s a real probability that for example, some of the signal could take a more direct route, some could take a less direct route, and they could arrive 1/2 a wavelength apart. this would make the signals destructively interfere and produce a signal dead spot (one reflection is positive as the other is negative, so they cancel). To fix this, having two antennae broadcast the same signal at 1/2 a wavelength apart means that the same set of reflections has to happen twice, which brings the probability of a signal ‘dead zone’ down. This is known as signal Diversity.
In more modern routers it can be used for ‘beam forming’ where the router and device can establish a frequency that produces the least destructive (or most constructive) interference, and the router can produce 2 out of phase signals that fit this profile best and cause constructive interference at the device.
Sorry this ELI5 got a bit technical
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