Wi-Fi 6: Introduction, Technologies, Speeds and Myths
Until recently, WiFi generations had cryptic naming schemes that necessitated the user to know what 802.11n, 802.11ac, or 802.11af are. Moreover, often ISPs duped their customers by playing around with such technicalities to comparing the speeds of different WiFi generations and sell their products.
Did you ever feel that names were just made up and were nonsense? Well, many others share your feeling.
To fix this complication, the last WiFi generation, i.e., 802.11ac, was named ‘WiFi 5,’ and the newest WiFi generation is called ‘WiFi 6,’ i.e., 802.11ax.
WiFis will only get faster in time with the massive increase in bandwidth-demanding wants of today’s users. Users who like to consume the internet from different devices and for different uses.
It will be unfair to call WiFi 6 a simple speed boost. The benefits that this newest WiFi generation carry can already be seen across the globe.
This Selectra article is going to cover all the crucial bytes about WiFi 6.
What Exactly is WiFi 6?
WiFi 6, the newest WiFi generation, allows its users to connect to the internet. Yes, that’s as basic as it could get.
You might think that if the WiFi 6 function is that primary, what is the hype about?
Well, it isn’t as simple as it looks. This newest WiFi generation has additional technologies engineered within, making it more efficient than its predecessor in terms of speed.
Now, let us look into what makes WiFi 6 fast!
How Fast is WiFi 6, and What Technologies Make it that Fast?
If we compare WiFi 5 vs. WiFi 6 speeds, you’ll be surprised to see the jump. While WiFi 5 supports 3.5 Gbps speed, WiFi 6 offers 9.6 Gbps.
The speeds mentioned above are theoretically maximum. So don’t be surprised if you do not achieve this speed level in the real world.
The high-speed capability of the WiFi 6 is powered by two (2) supreme technologies, namely, MU-MIMO and OFDMA.
Most modern routers and devices already use the ‘multi-user, multi-input, multi-output or ‘MU-MIMO’ though WiFi 6 upgrades this technology further.
Wait, what kind of upgrade? Can we start from the basics, please?
What is MU-MIMO? Well, this technology enables a router to communicate with several devices simultaneously, rather than broadcasting to one device, then the second, and then the third.
Previously, MU-MIMO enabled routers to communicate with four (4) devices simultaneously. But WiFi 6, however, upgraded this and makes this communication possible with up to eight (8) devices.
On the other hand, OFDMA, which stands for ‘orthogonal frequency division multiple access,’ enables simultaneous data delivery to various devices from a single transmission.
Now that we know a little about the efficiency of WiFi 6 in terms of the engineered technologies and speeds let us move on to other aspects.
Is WiFi 6 All About Top Speeds?
It is important to note that WiFi 6 can sometimes confuse people with simple ‘speed boosts’ for individual users.
On the contrary, WiFi 6 goes all in to improve the network when many devices are connected to it.
Internet usage patterns have drastically changed over the past decade, and especially during COVID times. Now, most Indian households have, on average, five to six individual devices connected to WiFi.
With more the number of devices connected to the same network, the more the toll loads on it, thus slowing down the internet speed across devices.
WiFi 6 comes as a blessing when it comes to solving the above issue. With MU-MIMO and OFDMA technologies, many devices can connect to a single network without compromising on speed.
In short, WiFi 6 enables –
- the routers to communicate with more devices simultaneously,
- the routers to send data to multiple devices in the same broadcast, and
- the WiFi-connected devices set up regular check-ins with the router.
Getting WiFi 6
To get WiFi 6, you will simply have to buy new, latest devices that support WiFi 6!
In general, WiFi generations rely on not just software updates but also modern hardware. So, unfortunately, to experience WiFi 6, users will have to purchase new phones, laptops, tablets, and other devices that they want to use.
Please note that WiFi 6 is not a game-changing update that will force you to grab new versions of all the devices you currently own. In fact, like how it has always been, new devices will start coming with WiFi 6 capability by default. So we’d recommend you to analyze your needs first before rushing out for shopping.
Lastly, if you end up purchasing WiFi 6 devices without picking up a WiFi 6 router, you will not see experience any benefits at all. However, if you do vice-versa, you might start enjoying a basic level of WiFi 6 router benefits.
WiFi 6 in India
The Samsung Galaxy S 10 was the first smartphone to support WiFi 6 technology. The latest generation of the Apple iPhone then followed suit.
If you are looking for the best WiFi 6 routers available in India, you can sit back and read the list below, for we have done all the research work on your behalf.
- Best ASUS WiFi 6 routers include:
- Asus AX3000 Dual-band WiFi 6 Router
- Asus ZenWifi AX6600 Wifi Router
- Asus RT-AX88U AX6000 wifi Router
- Best TP-Link WiFi 6 routers:
- TP-Link AX-1800 Smart WiFi Router
- TP-Link AX1500 Archer AX10
- TP-Link Archer AX11000 Tri-band WiFi Router
- TP-Link Archer AX6000 WiFi Router
- Best Netgear WiFi 6 routers:
- NETGEAR Nighthawk MK63 WiFi Router
- NETGEAR Nighthawk AX-4 WiFi Router
You can look into D-Link DIR-X1560 WiFi 6 Router if you are not satisfied with any of the above recommendations.
Conclusion
We hope this article did true justice to our readers’ valuable time. WiFi 6 is indeed the next big thing going on behind the scenes during the 5G craze.
It’s good to be updated with every new movement in the telecommunications world. Visit our website for more updates.
