- Wifi 6 is the latest next-generation wireless standard faster than 802.11ac. This wireless networking standard provides high-throughput wireless local area networks on
- Although mobile, Wifi can be unreliable in crowded places with simultaneous Wifi-enabled devices connected and being used.The new Wifi 6 may solve this problem.
- Wifi 6 can welcome more smart gadgets into your home, with boosted speeds ready to perform to its highest potential with a tap of a finger. However, it will require investing in new Wifi 6 capable gadgets to enjoy such speed and efficiency fully.
New technologies are making the internet world even more exciting. As we seek better, faster, and more reliable internet services to cater to our constantly changing and demanding needs, what more can we expect in the future? Among the many to look forward to is Wifi 6. After the battle between Wifi 4 vs Wifi 5 comes a new head-to-head collision and technology - Wifi 5 vs Wifi 6.
What is Wifi 6?
WiFi 6 is the latest next-generation wireless standard faster than 802.11ac. This wireless networking standard provides high-throughput wireless local area networks on the 5GHz band. The standard has been retroactively labelled as WiFi 5. The WiFi 6, on top of its improved speed offerings, will provide better performance in congested areas in public as at the comfort of your home. Although WiFi has been around since late 2019, WiFi 6 enabled hardware was only released throughout 2020 also known as 802.11ax.
Most people will not need the latest and greatest technology. However, for those who want the best of the best, they may want to wait for devices that support WiFi ax or WiFi 802.11ax. This is a new standard that offers even higher speeds than what is currently available with WiFi ac. The benefits of this new standard include increased range, improved battery life, and support for more devices.
You can also expect to see a lot more WiFi-enabled devices in the future. This includes things like thermostats, door locks, and even cars. These could also include things like virtual reality headsets and augmented reality glasses. As more and more devices become connected, the need for wireless networking will only continue to grow.
Wifi 5 vs Wifi 6: What Most Consumers Should Learn About
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Faster Speed with Wifi 6
Now that we are switching to the latest standard for mobile connectivity, what can consumers expect from these upcoming new services? Speed is always a measure that makes the current wireless standard better than its predecessors. If you are currently using a WiFi router with a single device, WiFi 6 will offer maximum potential speeds that are 40% higher compared to WiFi 5. This means that you can download files, stream videos, and play online games faster than ever before. For instance, if you are downloading a movie that is typically around two hours long, it would only take approximately one hour and twelve minutes with WiFi using the new 802.11ax standard. Similarly, if you are playing an online game that requires a fast and stable connection, you would experience reduced lag time and smoother gameplay.
Interestingly, WiFi 6 will offer more efficiency in data encoding, thus creating higher outputs. What does this mean? More data can be packed into the same radio waves, thus creating more robust signals that can handle the extra work of producing higher outputs. As a result, your devices will be able to receive and transmit data at higher speeds without any issues. You will also be able to connect to more devices simultaneously without any decrease in performance.
Networks under the 2.4GHz will eventually experience higher speeds. During the shift from WiFi 4 to WiFi 5, the industry already enjoyed less interference. This time, it would even be better. 2.4GHz will penetrate solid objects more, with even less latency and interference. Hence, you can move around your house or office without worrying about losing connection. In the next decade, we can expect to see a world that is more connected than ever before. With the advent of new and improved wireless technologies, we would be able to achieve previously unimaginable speeds.
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Battery Life Improved
Consumers can look forward to longer battery life when using WiFi 6 enabled devices. With a new TWT or target wake time feature, smartphones, laptops, and other WiFi 6 enabled devices will last longer than the average 5G-enabled gadget. This means that if in the past you had to recharge your phone in the middle of the day, you may not have to do that anymore with a WiFi-enabled device. Rather, you'll be able to charge your device once at night and have it last all day.
How does this work? As the access point connects to a device, such as your laptop or smartphone, the access point can tell the device to put its WiFi radio to sleep or to wake up to receive the next transmission. The new system shall conserve power as the WiFi radio can spend more time in sleep mode. Low-powered devices connected to the new WiFi 6 will also enjoy such benefits. This means that we can all expect to see better battery life in the next decade from our devices.
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Efficient Performance in Crowded Areas
Although mobile, WiFi can be unreliable in crowded places with simultaneous WiFi-enabled devices connected and being used. A busy stadium, the bus stop, airport, hotels, malls, and even congested and crowded offices can experience some form of latency when connected to wireless internet. This means that if you are downloading or streaming something, the process may take longer than usual or not load at all. This is due in part to the fact that with more devices comes more interference. Each device sends and receives data on the same frequencies, which can interfere with each other if they are not properly managed.
The new WiFi 6 may solve this problem. With the incorporation of new technologies to help improve speed, even in crowded places, WiFi 6 can be quite promising. WiFi 6 can improve a user's average speed by four times, even in a congested area with several WiFi-enabled devices working simultaneously. If you are at home with slow speed due to the number of users connected to the internet, WiFi 6 can make it possible to enjoy fast internet even with such a high density of users in the area.
With all of the new and exciting features, it is no wonder that the WiFi Alliance is already certifying devices for compatibility with the new standard. Many companies are releasing products that support WiFi-AX, the new name for WiFi-802.11ax. The first wave of these devices already appeared on store shelves last 2019. So if you are looking for a new router or other devices that use WiFi, make sure it has WiFi-AX compatibility to take advantage of everything the new standard has to offer.
What Does It Mean for Wifi Consumers?
Current Wifi 5 users will still enjoy the convenience and faster speeds with their Wifi 5 enabled gadgets. But, as Wifi 6 enabled gadgets begin to launch in the market, they could be an easy target for envy from most of their predecessors because of the top speeds they are capable of, even in busier environments. This enhancement would be a good advantage in many technology-based industries across the globe.
It could give an online gamer the edge to win an online battle. WiFi 6 can welcome more smart gadgets into your home, with boosted speeds ready to perform to its highest potential with a tap of a finger. However, it will require investing in new WiFi 6 capable gadgets to enjoy such speed and efficiency fully.
In case you are thinking of purchasing a new router with the WiFi 6 standard or you might be wondering if it is time to ditch your old router for a new one, make sure that you understand the difference between the two standards before making a decision.
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