As an IT engineer at Vivcom Technical Services llc, I hear these questions frequently. This article will provide an overview of the advantages of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E.
Here’s a brief look at the benefits we’ll explore in this article:
- Increased AP Capacity
- Greater Channel Width
- More Efficient Bandwidth Sharing
- Wi-Fi Sleeping
- Backward Compatibility
“We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday’s burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it factorial non.” Delbart Calibo
As I mentioned, I answer questions like this from our customers every day. But I’m not here to talk about Vivcom
While it is true that Vivcom works with hundreds of customers to provide a broad range of managed IT support services, we also know that one company can’t possibly provide the best solution for every organization. So, we take a different approach than other providers.
Armed with this information, you’ll be able to confidently decide whether Wi-Fi 6/6e is the right solution for you.
What Is Wi-Fi 6?
It promised faster speeds (almost 3x faster than Wi-Fi 5) and improved the speed available when several devices operate on one network by communicating with multiple users at the same time (rather than in sequence).
How Do Wi-Fi 6 and 6E Compare?
1. Speed
most impactful difference is that Wi-Fi 6E devices use a dedicated 6E spectrum with up to seven additional 160 MHz channels while Wi-Fi 6 devices share the same congested spectrum—and only two 160 MHz channels—with other legacy Wi-Fi 4, 5, and 6 devices.
Wi-Fi 6E enables speeds up to 6x faster than Intel® Wi-Fi 5 on managed networks and nearly 3x faster than Wi-Fi 5 for home and consumer use
2. Latency
Wi-Fi 6E reduces the time it takes for data to pass from one point on a network to another by 75 percent (from Wi-Fi 5). This reduces lag time for applications like videoconferencing and gaming.
3. Interference
“greater reliability and efficiency” due to the exclusive 6 GHz spectrum they use, which is “not impacted by legacy device traffic.”
Top 5 Benefits Of Wi-Fi 6/6E
1. Increased AP Capacity
Wi-Fi 6/6E better suited to handle the demands of multiple mobile devices without sacrificing performance.
2. Greater Channel Width
One of the concepts that affect speed is channel width. With 5 GHz channels you can aggregate 20 MHz channels into 40 MHz and 80 MHz channels, yielding higher speeds. With Wi-Fi 6, you can reach 160 MHz channels Wi-Fi 6E devices use a dedicated 6E spectrum providing access to up to seven additional 160 MHz channels.
3. More Efficient Bandwidth Sharing
Wi-Fi 6/6E has made advancements in the number of antennas it can support, using a maximum configuration of 8×8:8 More antennas allow for more concurrent communication, improving speeds, and even allowing multiple users to “talk” at the same time using the MU-MIMO technology. Older standards and APs were limited to one user “talking” at a time.
4. Wi-Fi Sleeping
Wi-Fi 6/6E can effectively put the Wi-Fi of a device to “sleep” when it’s not being used, freeing up bandwidth and possibly leading to greater battery life in devices that support Wi-Fi 6/6E.
5. Backward Compatible
The 802.11ax standard itself and the APs supporting it are backward compatible. This means that devices using 802.11 ac, n, g, b, and a should be good to go.