5 Reasons You Should Consider Upgrading to a WiFi 6 Router - NETGEAR Blog (2024)

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5 Reasons You Should Consider Upgrading to a WiFi 6 Router - NETGEAR Blog? ›

WiFi 6 provides the fastest real-world speeds and range

As mentioned in this article, WiFi 6 offers faster maximum theoretical speeds, with data rates of up to 9.6 Gbps, 25% faster than WiFi 5. At the same time, WiFi 6 operates with up to 75% less latency than WiFi 5. This is massively beneficial and is probably why many users upgrade their setup to WiFi 6.

With more WiFi 6 devices hitting the market, users can expect a superior wireless experience. Still, the high cost of WiFi 6 routers and limited compatibility with older devices are drawbacks that need consideration before upgrading.

Wi-Fi 6 benefits

Increased capacity on a single router. Improved performance in crowded areas and buildings. Faster connection and data transfer speeds. Better battery life on your devices.

If you're planning to upgrade your technology in the near future, adopting WiFi 6 can future-proof your network. As with any technological upgrade, cost is a significant consideration. While WiFi 6 routers and devices are becoming more prevalent, they often come with a higher price tag compared to their predecessors.

WiFi 6's primary advantage over other standards is that it provides maximum speed and accessibility in congested networks.

WiFi 6 provides the fastest real-world speeds and range

WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 carry the highest number of streams, thus allowing for gigabit WiFi speeds. WiFi 6 increases the number of streams to a new high of 12 across the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, whereas WiFi 5 has a limit of 8 in a dual band configuration.

If the device you're using, the Wi-Fi 6, has a bigger distance from the router, Wi-Fi 6 will find it difficult to penetrate the walls better. Hence, you should minimize the distance between the device and the router to ensure faster signals.

Wi-Fi 6 can be faster due to technologies like traffic prioritization, OFDMA, and beamforming. This new protocol is also more secure and uses new encryption technologies such as SAE. Wi-Fi 6E-enabled devices can take advantage of the newer 6GHz frequency band for further improved connectivity.

WiFi 6 (802.11ax) is the latest wireless standard, designed to improve the current WiFi standard, 802.11ac. Key benefits of WiFi 6 over previous standards like WiFi 5 (802.11ac) include 4x connected capacity, increased data throughput, and faster speeds, resulting in improved performance.

Does Wi-Fi 6 improve older devices? ›

Mostly, you need to know that older devices will not enjoy all of the maximum benefits possible with Wi-Fi 6. Generally speaking, older devices won't run as fast or efficiently. In fact, there are four specific Wi-Fi 6 advantages that will be diminished or entirely missing from older devices on the network.

2. Does WiFi 6 make a difference? WiFi 6 makes a significant difference compared to previous WiFi standards. It offers faster speeds, better capacity for more devices, improved performance in crowded areas, increased range, lower latency, and enhanced security.

Wi-Fi 6E: How do they differ? The key difference between the Wi-Fi 6 standard and the new Wi-Fi 6E extension is that Wi-Fi 6E essentially creates a "fast lane" for compatible devices and applications. The result: faster wireless speeds and lower latency.

1. Wi-Fi 6 speed vs. ethernet speed. The most important talking point regarding the Wi-Fi 6 speed vs Ethernet is that apart from offering the faster speed, Ethernet brings in a better range.

The channel bandwidth of Wi-Fi 6 can range from 20 to 160 MHz. In contrast, Wi-Fi 7 doubles the channel width and offers a maximum width of 320 MHz. The availability of a wider spectrum translates to higher data rates and optimal network performance. It can accommodate more devices at higher data rates.

In Wi-Fi 6, 8×8 MU MIMO technology is used. This can handle up to eight devices connected and actively using the wireless LAN without any interference.

In the case of Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802.11ax, the standard was developed prior to the 6 GHz band being available. Only Wi-Fi 6E can access all three spectrums, including 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz.

This assumes you're using a Wi-Fi router with a single device. Wi-Fi 6 can achieve higher data transfer speeds through a variety of techniques, starting with more efficient data encoding and intelligent use of the wireless spectrum made possible by more powerful processors. Wi-Fi 6 can result in up to 75% less latency.

Will a Wi-Fi 6 router work with older devices? ›

WiFi 6 routers are 100% backwards compatible with WiFi 5 and older WiFi devices.

A: While WiFi 6 routers typically offer better coverage compared to older routers, there may still be areas in your home where the signal strength is weaker or where the WiFi 6 router's range doesn't reach.