https://www.cnet.com/news/wi-fi-6-and-what-it-means-for-you/#ftag=CAD590a51e
wi-fi 6 is making its big debut this year, but summing up the potential impact is a bit more complicated than saying it will make Wi-Fi faster. Yes, things are going to be speedier than before -- but what's key about Wi-Fi 6 is how it will reshape the way routers handle the growing number of internet-connected devices in our homes and lives.
If you're looking for some basic answers about how that'll work, and perhaps a semi-convoluted comparison or two to help you wrap your head around all of it, then you've come to right post.
Let's start with the basics
Wi-Fi 6, or 802.11ax if you want to be technical about it, is the newest version of the 802.11 standard for wireless networking transmissions that people commonly call Wi-Fi. It's a backwards-compatible upgrade over the previous version of the Wi-Fi standard, which is called 802.11ac.
Wi-Fi 6 isn't a new means of connecting to the internet like fiber -- rather, it's an upgraded standard that Wi-Fi devices, particularly routers, can take advantage of to transmit Wi-Fi signals more efficiently.
Wi-Fi 6? Did I miss the other 5?
No, the names were just clunky, and more or less meaningless to most people who don't work in networking. That's why the Wi-Fi Alliance is now transitioning to a simpler, more user-friendly way of talking about the standard. The new version, 802.11ax, is the 6th version of 802.11, so they're calling it Wi-Fi 6. The previous couple of generations will get the same treatment retroactively, too. For instance, the existing standard I mentioned before, 802.11ac? That's called Wi-Fi 5 now.
How fast is Wi-Fi 6?
That's a topic of some debate, and we won't have a definitive answer until we've had the chance to fully test the hardware out for ourselves, but the overall refrain from industry experts is that Wi-Fi 6 will offer speeds that are roughly 30% faster than Wi-Fi 5, with theoretical maximum transfer speeds up around 10 Gbps.
That figure will really depend on context, though, because it's a lot more speed than you're likely to ever need from a single device. In environments with lots and lots of devices that need to connect, Wi-Fi 6 might make a huge difference. In small homes with only a few devices on the network, the difference might be harder to notice
New Wi-Fi 6 routers, like the Netgear Nighthawk AX12, are available for purchase now or will be in the coming months. They won't come cheap, though
When does Wi-Fi 6 get here?
Wi-Fi 6 is already technically a thing -- it's a new, certified standard that newly-made Wi-Fi devices can put to use. It'll be a while before you have a ton of options, but Wi-Fi 6 routers from brands like Cisco, Netgear, Asus and TP-Link are already rolling out. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S10 is the first phone to support Wi-Fi 6, and other devices are certain to follow suit. For instance, it's a pretty sure bet that the next iPhone and the next generation of laptops and Wi-Fi smart home devices will all support it, too.
You'll need both a Wi-Fi 6 router and Wi-Fi 6 devices like those in order to reap the full benefits of 802.11ax, but if you go ahead and get that fancy new router, your older devices will still work like normal. The rub is that they won't be much faster, if at all -- Wi-Fi 6 supports previous-gen 802.11 devices, but it can't do much to speed them up.
Who made Wi-Fi 6?
Wi-Fi 6 was developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest association of technical professionals. Along with a lot of other functions (its stated mission is "to advance technology for the benefit of humanity"), the IEEE is basically the keeper of Wi-Fi, with committees responsible for developing it and establishing industry standards
wi-fi 6 is making its big debut this year, but summing up the potential impact is a bit more complicated than saying it will make Wi-Fi faster. Yes, things are going to be speedier than before -- but what's key about Wi-Fi 6 is how it will reshape the way routers handle the growing number of internet-connected devices in our homes and lives.
If you're looking for some basic answers about how that'll work, and perhaps a semi-convoluted comparison or two to help you wrap your head around all of it, then you've come to right post.
Let's start with the basics
Wi-Fi 6, or 802.11ax if you want to be technical about it, is the newest version of the 802.11 standard for wireless networking transmissions that people commonly call Wi-Fi. It's a backwards-compatible upgrade over the previous version of the Wi-Fi standard, which is called 802.11ac.
Wi-Fi 6 isn't a new means of connecting to the internet like fiber -- rather, it's an upgraded standard that Wi-Fi devices, particularly routers, can take advantage of to transmit Wi-Fi signals more efficiently.
Wi-Fi 6? Did I miss the other 5?
No, the names were just clunky, and more or less meaningless to most people who don't work in networking. That's why the Wi-Fi Alliance is now transitioning to a simpler, more user-friendly way of talking about the standard. The new version, 802.11ax, is the 6th version of 802.11, so they're calling it Wi-Fi 6. The previous couple of generations will get the same treatment retroactively, too. For instance, the existing standard I mentioned before, 802.11ac? That's called Wi-Fi 5 now.
How fast is Wi-Fi 6?
That's a topic of some debate, and we won't have a definitive answer until we've had the chance to fully test the hardware out for ourselves, but the overall refrain from industry experts is that Wi-Fi 6 will offer speeds that are roughly 30% faster than Wi-Fi 5, with theoretical maximum transfer speeds up around 10 Gbps.
That figure will really depend on context, though, because it's a lot more speed than you're likely to ever need from a single device. In environments with lots and lots of devices that need to connect, Wi-Fi 6 might make a huge difference. In small homes with only a few devices on the network, the difference might be harder to notice
New Wi-Fi 6 routers, like the Netgear Nighthawk AX12, are available for purchase now or will be in the coming months. They won't come cheap, though
When does Wi-Fi 6 get here?
Wi-Fi 6 is already technically a thing -- it's a new, certified standard that newly-made Wi-Fi devices can put to use. It'll be a while before you have a ton of options, but Wi-Fi 6 routers from brands like Cisco, Netgear, Asus and TP-Link are already rolling out. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S10 is the first phone to support Wi-Fi 6, and other devices are certain to follow suit. For instance, it's a pretty sure bet that the next iPhone and the next generation of laptops and Wi-Fi smart home devices will all support it, too.
You'll need both a Wi-Fi 6 router and Wi-Fi 6 devices like those in order to reap the full benefits of 802.11ax, but if you go ahead and get that fancy new router, your older devices will still work like normal. The rub is that they won't be much faster, if at all -- Wi-Fi 6 supports previous-gen 802.11 devices, but it can't do much to speed them up.
Who made Wi-Fi 6?
Wi-Fi 6 was developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest association of technical professionals. Along with a lot of other functions (its stated mission is "to advance technology for the benefit of humanity"), the IEEE is basically the keeper of Wi-Fi, with committees responsible for developing it and establishing industry standards
