Alessandro Riganti, D-Link Country Manager for Italyexplains what should be taken into consideration when talking about WiFi 7 and network updates.
WiFi 6, WiFi 6E, and now WiFi 7. If you’re considering upgrading your home network, you’ll probably think that the latest WiFi standard is the obvious solution. But there’s a lot of conflicting (and often confusing) information about what WiFi 7 can offer. What are the differences between the various iterations and how to choose the right one? Here’s everything you need to know to separate expectations from reality.
WiFi 6 and WiFi 7: the differences
First, the WiFi number refers to the generation, or standard, of wireless LAN (WLAN) technology. WiFi 7 is the latest standard available.
If you think of the WiFi signal as a transaction between an access point, like a router, and a device, like a laptop, WiFi 6 compacts more information into a single transaction and delivers the data to multiple users at the same time. It works on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz data bands, switching between them as needed to improve throughput (which is the actual rate of data transmission over a network relative to the speed of the network – which is a theoretical maximum speed). In comparison, WiFi 5 only uses the 5 GHz frequency band.
WiFi 6 also features Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) technology, which allows bandwidth (or channels) to be divided to better meet different user needs, allowing the router to communicate with several devices at the same time.
Il WiFi 6Ehowever, also accesses a 6GHz data band, extending the capacity, efficiency, coverage and performance benefits of WiFi 6.
WiFi 7 operates on the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands, like WiFi 6E, but improves the experience by combining connections between data bands (resulting in faster downloads and greater stability), offering greater bandwidth of potential bandwidth (again, faster downloads) and using more signal modulation workarounds to manage congestion, which occurs when multiple devices are connected on the same channel.
Basically, they all promise more devices connected to faster networks, with blazing speeds expected for WiFi 7, but it’s important to understand what each standard really offers beyond expected performance.
Bandwidth restrictions and waits between different countries
WiFi 7 promises incredible results and there is no doubt that it will deliver them, sooner or later. WiFi 6E opened up the 6 GHz spectrum for the first time, but there are restrictions that limit its performance, as the availability of the 6 GHz band varies from country to country in Europe.
The EU currently allows WiFi operation in 480 MHz of the (lower) 6 GHz band, while countries such as the United States, Canada, Brazil, South Korea and Saudi Arabia have already allocated the entire 1.2GHz spectrum, and other countries will soon follow suit. Europe is currently lagging behind in using the full 6 GHz WiFi spectrum. As it stands, there is still some time before this opens up enough to support WiFi 7 in a meaningful way.
The other challenge is that 90% of connected devices in your home operate on the 2.4GHz data band. So, why jump to a WiFi 7 router or mesh system right away?
Resist the temptation of novelty
It is often tempting to invest in new things, especially if they are talked about everywhere. The confusion is understandable when it comes to upgrades: if the latest smartphone model is launched, how likely are you to buy the previous model?
But in this case it is better to wait. It will likely take a few more years before most smartphones, laptops, and other smart devices will actually be able to support WiFi 7. By then, the technology will be much more accessible and the true benefits of its much greater use will be seen. vaunted speed.
Prioritize and evaluate your devices
If you have to wait for WiFi 7, what about WiFi 6 and 6E? Wouldn’t it make more sense to go straight to WiFi 7 when it becomes available? It’s possible, but it would be an expensive investment for something you can’t benefit from yet. The reality is that WiFi 7 product launches are running ahead of supply capacity, just as happened with 5G-enabled phones.
We must, therefore, ask ourselves what the real priorities are. If a better, more reliable connection is your priority over speed, then it’s worth considering functionality. WiFi 6 and 6E are certainly more likely to be used the way they were intended.
But even taking WiFi 6 into consideration, devices must be able to connect. WiFi 6E uses OFDMA technology, which allows bandwidth to be divided to better respond to different user needs: theOFDMA it is not backward compatible with older devices, so when for example a WiFi 6E or 7 router “talks” to a smart home device that only uses WiFi 4, for example, it satisfies it on its own terms, using the capabilities of that standard, so any another device that connects to the channel must wait in a queue for the router to finish “talking” to the first device, causing slowdowns in the devices. So, yes, WiFi 7 will be able to make your home smarter, but it won’t do so until all devices are approved to the new standard, which however is not yet available for the majority of smart devices.
More speed does not mean better performance
WiFi 7 will indeed be faster, but what makes it faster is above all the channel bandwidth, i.e. the size of the “pipe” through which the data is sent. The WiFi 7 doubles the maximum channel bandwidth, bringing it to 320 MHz, compared to the 160 MHz of good WiFi 6 and 6E routers. However, only the 6 GHz band supports these larger channels – there is not enough space on the 5 GHz band. We will therefore have to wait for a further opening of the 6 GHz band before seeing the speed realize its potential.
Higher speed seems like a great advantage though. In reality, only a handful of connected devices in the home benefit from high speed: for many network-connected devices, speed doesn’t even enter the equation. Just think about it smart plug, to Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa or even to the video intercom. If the change is imperceptible to those living at home, what is the point of investing in speed? Peak speed is not always the solution to improving or upgrading connectivity.
The advantages of WiFi 7 will be useful (possibly) to the applications AR e VR that require high transmission speed and low latency, to provide higher quality video and improve cloud gaming. But even the latest and most popular gaming devices have not yet reached this standard.
Wait for compatibility with the standard
To take advantage of the advantages, it is necessary to have compatible devices. Newer Android TVs, laptops and smartphones are only now starting to support the WiFi 6E standard. Apple just launched compatibility with the WiFi 6E in the iPhone 15 series, the Xbox Series will only launch WiFi 6E support in 2024, and the PlayStation 5 only has WiFi 6 support, so speeding up gaming times by switching to a WiFi 7 router will have to wait a little longer.
However, it makes sense to upgrade to a WiFi 6 router or mesh system, as device compatibility is becoming more and more widespread. A WiFi 6E router can also be a valid option, provided that you have made an assessment of which devices in your home could actually exploit this standard.
As regards WiFi 7, however, it is better to avoid regrets and wait until the potential hardware problems have been resolved, the price will drop and – a fundamental element – a greater number of devices will be compatible with the standard. The actual application of WiFi 7 is very different from what is currently promised. Over time it will definitely be worth it, but right now it’s best to wait.