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In today’s rapidly evolving wireless landscape, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E emerge as the foundation for next-gen connectivity. With advancements in data rates, capacity, and efficiency, when compared to Wi-Fi 5, they revolutionize the wireless experience in our workplaces and beyond.
As organizations and individuals strive to stay ahead in the digital age, Wi-Fi 6 offers unparalleled performance and reliability. It easily handles the majority of demands of modern applications and the growing number of connected devices, satisfying the demands of over 90% percent of use cases that I’m aware of today.
And now that Wi-Fi 6E and 6Ghz channels promise additional spectrum and potential performance gains, there is an option that satisfies the remaining 10% of use cases. I’m often asked where and why I recommend using both options today so I’ll cover the following in this blog:
- Why Wi-Fi 6 works in over 90% of use cases
- The difference between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E
- Where Wi-FI 6E offers value and why
Wi-Fi 6 – built to handle high performance use cases
There is significant value in using Wi-Fi 6, especially considering its widespread adoption and the benefits it offers. Here are some reasons why Wi-Fi 6 is valuable:
Compatibility: Wi-Fi 6 is a widely adopted standard, with many devices, routers, and access points supporting it. Moving to Wi-Fi 6 ensures compatibility with a wide range of existing devices and networks. I’ve seen some fairly old endpoint devices on college campuses, hospital networks and in manufacturing facilities. Many of these devices are still running fairly old Wi-Fi protocols due to regulatory reasons, or based on the fact that their purpose does not necessitate a change.
Performance: Wi-Fi 6 offers substantial performance improvements over previous Wi-Fi standards, including higher data rates, increased capacity, and improved efficiency. By moving to Wi-Fi 6, users with Wi-Fi 6 enabled devices as well as those with older endpoints will enjoy faster and more reliable wireless connections.
Future-Proofing: While Wi-Fi 6E introduces additional spectrum in the 6 GHz band, Wi-Fi 6 remains a future-proof option for most organizations due to Wi-Fi 6 devices being backward compatible with previous Wi-Fi standards and continuing to deliver optimal performance in diverse environments.
Protocol Efficiencies: Wi-Fi 6 incorporates advanced technologies, such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Target Wake Time (TWT), which help improve overall network efficiency versus the older Wi-Fi 5 standard. Moving to Wi-Fi 6 offers the ability to prioritize the traffic for certain applications, like Zoom. And, TWT can help save on battery power for IoT devices as it enables end devices to decide when and how often they wake up to receive or send data.
Overall, moving to Wi-Fi 6 offers users a reliable, high-performance wireless connectivity solution that meets the demands of today’s digital landscape. Let’s now look at the differences between WiFi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E.
Basic W-iFi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E differences
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax):
- Wi-Fi 6 operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, similar to its predecessors
(Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 4, etc.). - It introduces various improvements over previous Wi-Fi standards, such as higher data rates, increased capacity, better performance in crowded environments, and improved power efficiency.
- Wi-Fi 6 enhances overall network performance and efficiency, especially in scenarios with multiple connected devices.
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax):
- Wi-Fi 6E is an extension of Wi-Fi 6 and operates in the 6 GHz frequency band.
- It offers additional spectrum compared to Wi-Fi 6, which can alleviate congestion in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, leading to improved performance.
- With the availability of wider channels in the 6 GHz band, Wi-Fi 6E can support higher data rates and accommodate more simultaneous connections.
- The 6 Ghz channels are less prone to interference than the incumbents which can be beneficial for some use cases.
- Wi-Fi 6E devices are backward compatible with Wi-Fi 6 and earlier standards, ensuring interoperability with existing devices while taking advantage of the new spectrum.
- 6GHz band in Wi-Fi6E is allowed to use only WPA3 strict mode of security
In a nutshell, Wi-Fi 6E builds upon what is being delivered by Wi-Fi by introducing support for the 6 GHz band, offering additional spectrum and potential for higher performance and efficiency in certain scenarios.
Where Wi-Fi 6E makes sense today
As previously mentioned, in specific use cases the additional spectrum and performance improvements offered by Wi-Fi 6E are really beneficial. Here’s some scenarios where I believe Wi-Fi 6E is suited:
High-Density environments such as large auditorium style classrooms, convention centers with large conference rooms, and specific areas of a hospital, and very specific crowded event areas where many devices are competing for limited bandwidth.
The type of applications being used should be a consideration. Bandwidth-intensive applications such as 4K/8K video streaming, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and online gaming are perfect examples of where Wi-Fi 6E should be considered today. The wider channels available in the 6 GHz band allow for higher throughput, enabling smoother and more responsive experiences for users.
Mission-critical applications that require low latency and high reliability, such as real-time video conferencing, remote surgery, and industrial automation are further examples. The additional spectrum and improved performance of Wi-Fi 6E ensure that these applications can operate without interruption or delay.
Overall, Wi-Fi 6E is best suited in environments where high density and VHD applications are being used, provided that the majority of endpoints are 6GHz capable and are able to take advantage of the added bandwidth. As more vendors have started to build Wi-Fi 6E interfaces into their devices the use cases will grow, but the majority of endpoints continue to be 2.4 and 5GHz capable today.
So, it comes down to a question of need. If you’re supporting highly dense environments that need a larger number of APs to handle capacity needs that 5Ghz access points can’t today Wi-Fi 6E is a great choice. It’s my belief that a hybrid model where 6GHz is absolutely necessary works and the rest is left to Wi-Fi 6 is a smart choice.
In the next blog I’ll cover how the Nile Access Service access points eliminate having to support multiple firmware versions in a hybrid deployment and some security issues related to WPA that you should be aware of when considering going to a complete or hybrid WiFi 6E deployment today.
