It was also designed to cover more devices within a larger radius.
What Is Wi-Fi 6?
It is the successor to the current web connection standard 802.11ac, otherwise known as Wi-Fi 5.
Wi-Fi 5wasreleasedin 2014, while Wi-Fi 6 came along five years later, in 2019.
Both standards have the same purpose: to provide a gateway from which people can enter the internet.
However, there are significant differences in their features and capabilities.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE is the organization responsible for creating Wi-Fi 6 standards.
The IEEE is the central authority for wireless internet and sets web connection standards every five years.
The organization is also tasked with looking for ways to improve the technology in general.
Like with other connection standards, the IEEEs main objective with Wi-Fi 6 is to push the technology further.
As new technologies continue to develop, there are more and more devices to deal with.
This capability to accommodate devices would become the defining feature of Wi-Fi 6.
They are responsible for certifying devices that pass the Wi-Fi 6 requirements as well.
Devices that pass the certification will have a seal indicating Wi-Fi 6 certified.
What Features Can You Expect from Wi-Fi 6?
Needless to say, their technology is developing at a rapid pace.
The IEEE boosted Wi-Fi 6 in all aspects including speed, efficiency, and safety.
It also has add-on features that are not available in the previous version.
It has a maximum bandwidth of 10 Mbps, while the former only has 3.5 Gbps.
you’re able to easily verify this when youcheck your internet speed.
For example, lets say that your internet plan has a speed cap of only 5 Gbps.
Wi-Fi 6 routers also have the ability to recognize devices that are on the edge of the online grid.
These are the devices that are physically far from the router.
In which case, the router will send stronger signals towards those devices.
This will help those devices to get equal bandwidth as the devices that are closer to the router.
Better Battery Life
Target wake time (TWT) is another key piece to Wi-Fi 6.
We use the term negotiate in the sense that each rig has a different wake-time schedule.
The way it works is that the access point only wakes the rig during pre-set time intervals.
In between these intervals, the gadget will remain in a power-saving (PS) mode.
The IEET aims this particular feature atIoT devices thatarepoweredby an external power source such as batteries.
Examples of devices that are the best fit for this feature include thermostats and home sensors of all kinds.
Increasing the sleep time of devices will help them save on both power and battery life.
For most, the experience is almost always accompanied by some sort of interruption.
This happens because the networkisovercrowded, and you have too many devices competing for bandwidth.
Wi-Fi 6 tries to solve this problem by employing a variety of mechanisms to distribute bandwidth.
The firstiscalledthe multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO).
MU-MIMO divides overall bandwidth into four streams with equal bandwidth allocation.
The orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) is another crucial feature.
This technology reduces latency by dividing a radio frequency into smaller chunks called resource units (RUs).
The router assigns an RU to each rig on the web link.
This approach allows signals to get to multiple client devices simultaneously.
This feature marks the transmissions coming from your web connection with a special identifier or color.
Improved Security
Wi-Fi 6 also differs from Wi-Fi 5 in terms of security protocols.
Password selection is also now less complicated by allowing users to set passwords that are easier to remember.
In addition, it protects your data even after your web connection has been compromised.
Backward Compatibility
The IEEE has mandated that each new standard should have backward compatibility.
Having said this, the Wi-Fi 6 is also fully backward compatible.
This means that you dont wont have to buy an entirely new set of devices to use it.
However, keep in mind that there is no complete assurance for compatibility.
Similarly, a gadget that does not have WPA3 support cannot connect to a Wi-Fi 6 connection.
Some routers also require a driver update or a manual update before they can accommodate a Wi-Fi 6 internet.
It will take some time before the public truly adopts the Wi-Fi 6 standard.
Even now, most companies havent fully upgraded their devices to follow the Wi-Fi 6 standard.
This means that most of the devices that you see in the stores still support Wi-Fi 5.
Nevertheless, the IEEE expects the technology market to keep up.
What Is Wi-Fi 6E?
These frequencies or bands carry the data that pass to and from the wireless web connection.
Simply put, the original version failed to incorporate ways for devices to jump into the 6 GHz band.
To remedy the situation, the IEEE created another version of the standard and called it Wi-Fi 6E.
The E in the title stands for extended.
Having access to the 6 GHz band has a lot of advantages.
For starters, not a lot of networks have used the band so its relatively unhampered.
This is a good break from the standard bands, which are already cramped.
It also supports up to eight times more radio bands than the standard 5 GHz.
With this ability comes a boost in bandwidth, faster speeds, and lower latency.
This makes it ideal for virtual reality gaming and high-definition video conferencing.
One key disadvantage to Wi-Fi 6E is that it lacks backward compatibility.
Unlike Wi-Fi 6 that works on older devices, the Wi-Fi 6E requires purpose-built devices to work with.
Is Wi-Fi 6 Worth the Upgrade?
When is the best time to get it?
The answers really depend on your situation.
Its a good idea for a busy household with multiple devices working at the same time.
It also works for crowded or spacious locations (e.g., conference hall, sports arena, library).
Getting Wi-Fi 6 devices is also a great investment for the future.
The technology will inevitably end up on your doorstep in one form or another.
Your next router, phone, laptop, or smart speaker will most likely have support for it.
You may also not have any need for the anti-congestive features of the technology.
This also makes the technology expensive.
Case in point, a Wi-Fi 6 router can set you back USD 100 more than a regular router.
This is the economical way and the environmentally-friendly way.
Nevertheless, its potential to transform our experience with the internet is already clear as day.
It will allow us to engage with the internet at a much faster, efficient, and stable pace.
It will also allow for mass-scale access to the internet in places that didnt have it before.
