Wi-Fi 6 is the next-generation standard in Wi-Fi technology. Wi-Fi 6, also known as “AX Wi-Fi” or “802.11ax Wi-Fi,” is upgraded to the current 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. Wi-Fi 6 was initially built to satisfy the need for the growing number of devices in the world. If there are multiple devices in infrastructure, then a Wi-Fi 6 router might be the best Wi-Fi router.

Wi-Fi 6 Features

Wi-Fi 6 is an essential upgrade over previous models, though the differences may not be visible straight away. But instead, these changes consist of many additional improvements that combined could be a meaningful upgrade.

Faster Speeds

Faster Wi-Fi means better data transfer that is becoming more and more critical as quantity and size of data continues to increase along with the higher data demands for flawless communication between multiple integrated devices such as automotive vehicles, connected smart city infrastructure, and so on.

• 9.6 Gbps is the maximum throughput of Wi-Fi 6 across multiple channels. In contrast, Wi-Fi 5 offers a maximum of 3.5 Gbps. Although these are theoretical maximums; however, in real life, local networks may not be able to achieve this speed. Despite this, Wi-Fi 6 can provide visibly faster speeds.
• Speeds might be faster when compared to Wi-Fi 5. Wi-Fi 6 can achieve higher data transfer speeds through various techniques, starting with more efficient data encoding and intelligent use of the wireless spectrum made possible by more powerful processors. Wi-Fi 6 uses both 1024-QAM to provide a signal packed with more data (giving more efficiency) and a 160 MHz Channel to give a broader channel to make Wi-Fi faster.
• Wi-Fi 6 can result in up to 75% less latency. Handling large amounts of network traffic more efficiently results in decreased latency.

Edge Over Previous Versions

Wi-Fi 6 communicates better with multiple devices that need data concurrently and more productively manages traffic across the devices.

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA): OFDMA is a multi-user version of the popular orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) digital modulation scheme. OFDMA achieves multiple access by assigning subsets of subcarriers to individual users, allowing simultaneous low-data-rate transmission from several users.

It divides its data among smaller subcarriers for more stability and broader coverage. AX Wi-Fi uses a 4x more extended OFDM symbol to create 4x more subcarriers. Because of this, Wi-Fi 6’s more extended OFDM symbol provides increased coverage and makes it faster.

Overlapping Basic Service Sets (OBSS): OBSS improves network congestion. With older generations of Wi-Fi, devices prompting to connect to a network using a “listen before talk” mechanism, which meant they had to “listen” for any noise on a channel before transmitting.

If there were any noise on the channel, even if it originated from a distant network, they would have to wait until the channel was clear before transmitting to avoid potential interference. OBSS enables the access point to use a “color” to identify the network uniquely. On detecting other traffic in the channel, if it is not the same color as the local network, devices can ignore it and continue transmission. It can help increase reliability and improve latency.

OFDMA and OBSS teaming together allow for more effective communication on congested networks.

Beamforming is another technology that Wi-Fi 6 improves to achieve higher speeds. This futuristic-sounding data transmission method is relatively simple. Instead of broadcasting data in all directions, the router detects where the device requesting the data is located and transmits a more localized data stream in that direction.

Beamforming isn’t new to Wi-Fi 6, but its efficacy has been improved in this generation.

Conclusion

On having multiple devices in an infrastructure that use the router simultaneously in such cases, using a Wi-Fi 6 router might make the experience a little faster and increase stability.

But one crucial thing to keep in mind before going with Wi-Fi 6 would be the device compatibility. To enjoy the unlimited Wi-Fi 6 experience, the device must be compatible with the adhered standards.