Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6. What it is?

WiFi 5 vs WiFi 6

Both standards use the same radio bands commonly used by wireless networks, namely 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The new generation of wireless, as you would intuitively expect, is about 30% faster, but under certain circumstances, as we'll discuss in a moment, the difference can be as much as tenfold. IEEE 802.11ax technology additionally towers over its predecessor with better security for data transmission.

What's the difference between wifi 5 and 6

The difference between WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 lies primarily in the improved use of the radio medium, that is, the use of OFDMA modulation in Wi-Fi 6, improved signal strength management mechanisms and the implementation of techniques to reduce interference from neighboring networks in a given location.

At first glance, the speed achieved by WiFi 5, which is nominally up to 1,733 Mbit/s (in the 5 GHz band) and 800 Mbit/s (in the 2.4 GHz band), may not seem much lower, as the speed of WiFi 6 is 2,400 Mbit/s in the 5 GHz band and 1,200 Mbit/s in the 2.4 GHz band. However, under actual installation conditions in a specific location, such as a block of flats or an office, given the given environmental conditions, a comparison of WiFi 6 vs WiFi 5 can yield results as high as +300% in favor of Wi-Fi 6. In other words, if in a particular house, Wi-Fi 5 only gets, for example, 300 Mbit/s due to interference from neighboring networks and devices, Wi-Fi 6 will be able to accelerate to 900 Mbit/s.

When comparing the speeds quoted by manufacturers, it should be taken into account that their values (sometimes called "gross") mean the physical capacity of the interface to transmit data, which is additionally measured under controlled laboratory conditions, where there are no obstacles or transmission interference, and the test equipment is set at an optimal distance from each other.

So don't expect that in a home environment, where we have to deal with architectural obstacles and interference from electrical and electronic devices, and these days additionally interference from multiple neighboring Wi-Fi networks, the realistically achievable "net" transfers, i.e. the speed of the actual file (not counting the "service" information sent over the network interface, i.e. control and control) data, will be as per the technical specifications.

In addition, sometimes manufacturers show in the technical data the aggregate throughput of all radio interfaces (e.g. 2533, or 6000 Mbit/s), of which there may be several in a single device. Do not expect that it can be achieved when copying a single file. However, the acceleration will be noticeable when using several end devices simultaneously, as each will have better access to the radio medium and processing power of the access point.

When discussing the advantages of Wi-Fi 6, it is also important to note precisely the improvement of MU-MIMO technology, i.e. simultaneous operation of multiple radio devices. While Wi-Fi 5 can perform transmission to several (e.g. 4) computers, tablets, or phones in the direction from the router to the device at the same time, data transmission in the opposite direction does not benefit from this capability. Wi-Fi 6, on the other hand, enables simultaneous and bidirectional transmission to multiple end devices.

The new generation of wireless networking additionally brings improved transmission security mechanisms, namely WPA3, which consists of stronger encryption algorithms and more secure and automated security key management.

Which generation to choose?

Wi-Fi technologies maintain downward compatibility, which means that new devices will work with older equipment without problems. So by switching to the new standard, we can still successfully use legacy equipment, which, thanks to the higher performance of the new access points and amplifiers, will likely operate more efficiently than before.

If the user already has ac router, which serves its purpose, you should not nervously look around for a new one, but calmly plan to switch to Wi-Fi 6. A good strategy might be, for example, to buy a new-generation Wi-Fi signal booster, such as FRITZ!Repeater 6000. With this solution, at least part of our network will be served by the new, faster standard.

However, if you are building a network from scratch or intend to buy a new router for other reasons, it is definitely worth investing in a device that supports IEEE 802.11ax. Efficient and versatile fRITZ routers, as well as signal amplifiers, come in both versions.