802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6, is the latest certified standard for wireless enabled devices such as laptops, tablets, mobile devices, all of these crazy IoT devices… You know, The connected refrigerator, washer and dryer, and the ever popular camera integrated doorbells! All of these are Wi-Fi enabled devices. They use your home’s Wi-Fi router to connect to the internet and to each other. The 802.11ax standard, (Wi-Fi 6), was developed to provide more capacity in an ever growing list of wireless connected devices. Just like the commercial telecommunication industry increased their capacities with the 5th generation cellular, (5G), to provide increased services for the growing commercial use, the IEEE developed the 802.11ax standard and the Wi-Fi Alliance adopted a new naming convention deeming 802.11ax as Wi-Fi 6.
If you are interested in learning more about the Wi-Fi 6 standard the following links are from the Wi-Fi Alliance and the IEEE regarding the topic. One link is a Power Point presentation from an IEEE member. Interesting reads to geek out on.
IEEE 802.11, The Working Group Setting the Standards for Wireless LANs
IEEE 802.11ax Tutorial (***Presentation Download. You’ll need a PowerPoint viewing application to open the file)
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 | Wi-Fi Alliance
Wi-Fi 6E: Expanding Wi-Fi into 6 GHz spectrum (English) – YouTube
Is Wi-Fi 6 faster? Do I need Wi-Fi 6? Does Wi-Fi 6 support older devices?
Well, simply, the answer is Yes! And there are multiple reasons why. But with wireless networking there are caveats.
For this post I won’t go into the multiple technical changes that occurred for the newest standard. In the above and below links these improvements are available for your review. I will go into more specific details of each new feature in upcoming posts.
Understanding how many devices are connecting to your Wi-Fi, what their capabilities are, and what the desired wireless coverage is for your home or small office are the most important factors to know. Without this knowledge you could just be spending money to have the latest technology when you may not need it. For instance, a person in a cozy studio apartment with two or three connected wireless devices, currently using 5ghz, (802.11ac), with fast enough internet connection speeds for their needs, likely is not looking for an upgrade to a Wi-Fi 6 router.
In this same scenario, the person could be experiencing wireless interference from their microwave, television, neighbors, or even modern looking furniture with steel construction. These factors could be creating a poor wireless experience. Understanding this wireless environment will help in the decision of upgrading your wireless router to a Wi-Fi 6 enabled device. In an upcoming post I will write about planning for wireless coverage with simple tools and tips to diagnose and alleviate some of the most common ailments of poor Wi-Fi performance in the home or small office.
Older devices using 801.11ac or even 802.11bgn using the 5ghz and 2.4ghz spectrums won’t directly have a performance boost or experience better coverages.
Wait… What?!? Why Bother?
Depending on the age of your current wireless router or access points, (devices older than 3 years). Replacing your wireless routers or access points is a worth while investment. Spend the extra few dollars and purchase the Wi-Fi 6 capable router now. They are backwards compatible to 5gh and 2.4ghz devices. (Although I recommend verifying the capability of routers antennas. It should have multiple antennas to support the older protocols.) As you replace older devices or purchase new ones, having the wider wireless spectrum available in your home allows new devices experience the improved performance and speeds immediately, at the same time relieving the wireless congestion of the 5ghz and 2.4ghz spectrum, allowing those older devices to work a little better overall.
If you have Wi-FI 6 capable devices already, (Devices that are compliant to the 802.11ax standard), absolutely you need a Wi-fi 6 router to take full advantage of your newer devices capabilities. Your device specifications may state clearly that it supports Wi-Fi 6 or you may have to look for the supported protocol of 802.11ax listed in the devices capabilities. Likely if you have purchased new devices in the last 6 months… chances are you have the latest Wi-Fi support.
Here are a couple links if you are interested in additional explanation of the technology improvements in Wi-Fi 6, (802.11ax), over Wi-Fi 5, (802.11ac). I particularly like TP-Link’s page, even though it is a sales page. It has a nice graphic for what could be the most important feature of Wi-Fi 6, OFDMA. Lastly, a link to Consumer Reports to help in you research.
What is WiFi 6? (802.11 ax) | Fastest WiFi Router | TP-Link
Wi-Fi 6: What’s Different, and Why it Matters (howtogeek.com)
Why It’s Time to Buy a WiFi 6 Router – Consumer Reports
Look for upcoming posts that will cover how to improve wireless coverage in the home or small business. Your home and small office is ofte more challenging to provide good Wi-Fi than most office buildings. Find out why you may need a wireless mesh network, or even a multiple access point wireless network with a central controller. Along with how to plan for and deploy a larger wireless network in your home.