What is Wi-Fi 6E, and How Is It Different from Wi-Fi 6? (2022)

Deal Score0
Deal Score0

We collectively stream extra films and TV exhibits, play extra on-line video games, and make extra video calls than ever earlier than, and all this exercise places a severe pressure on our Wi-Fi networks. We know the most recent Wi-Fi 6 normal provides a spread of advantages, together with quicker and extra dependable entry, however how does Wi-Fi 6E slot in?

Wi-Fi 6E is the identify for units that function within the 6-gigahertz (GHz) band, a brand new swath of unlicensed spectrum. Until now, our Wi-Fi operated on two bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The Wi-Fi 6 normal has numerous options to enhance the effectivity and knowledge throughput of your wi-fi community and scale back latency for these two bands. Wi-Fi 6E brings these enhancements to the 6-GHz band. Let’s break that down even additional.

Updated October 2022: We’ve added our expertise with Wi-Fi 6E and information of extra inexpensive Wi-Fi 6E routers, mesh techniques, and units.

If you purchase one thing utilizing hyperlinks in our tales, we could earn a fee. This helps assist our journalism. Learn extra.

Wi-Fi 6E Explained

Wi-Fi 6E extends the capability, effectivity, protection, and efficiency advantages of Wi-Fi 6 into the 6-GHz band. “With as much as seven extra super-wide 160-MHz channels out there, Wi-Fi 6E units ship better community efficiency and assist extra Wi-Fi customers directly, even in very dense and congested environments,” says Kevin Robinson, senior vp of selling for the Wi-Fi Alliance

Each band is a chunk of frequency. The 2.4-GHz band comprises 11 channels that are each 20 megahertz (MHz) wide. The 5-GHz band has 45 channels, but they can be fused to create 40-MHz or 80-MHz channels, enabling them to transmit more data at once. The 6-GHz band supports 60 channels that can be up to 160 MHz wide.

That’s a huge chunk of extra capacity. Think of it as going from a single-track road (2.4 GHz) to a three-lane highway (5 GHz) to a six-lane superhighway (6 GHz). The analogy works for coverage too. Higher frequencies have a tougher time penetrating solid walls and floors, so the single-track 2.4-GHz roads reach further than the 5-GHz highways, which reach further than the 6-GHz superhighways.

Rebranding Standards

Wi-Fi requirements have historically been fairly complicated. The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) establishes Wi-Fi requirements, and these requirements are licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance, which at the moment has 866 member firms, together with Apple, Facebook, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony, and many extra.

The Wi-Fi Alliance realized (correctly) that a standard named IEEE 802.11ax might be easier to grasp if it was rebranded as Wi-Fi 6. This move retroactively makes the IEEE 802.11ac standard Wi-Fi 5, IEEE 802.11 becomes Wi-Fi 4, and so on. Each of these standards is an umbrella term for a range of new features and improvements.

To give one instance, Wi-Fi 4 launched MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) know-how to permit for a number of simultaneous transmissions to and from a tool. The second wave of Wi-Fi 5 merchandise launched MU-MIMO, (MU stands for multi-user), enabling a number of units to attach concurrently to ship and obtain knowledge. Wi-Fi 6 improves MU-MIMO and introduces OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division a number of entry), enabling a single transmission to ship knowledge to a number of units directly.

*I use affiliate links at no cost to you. If you choose to make a purchase through my link I make a small commission. Thank you for trusting my recommendations!
We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

Mighty Power Tools
Logo
Enable registration in settings - general
Shopping cart