WiFi 5 vs WiFi 6 vs WiFi 6E vs WiFi 7: What’s the Difference?

WiFi technology has come a long way since its inception in 1997. With each new generation, WiFi connections have become faster, more reliable, and capable of handling more devices. But what exactly are the differences between the latest WiFi generations – WiFi 5, WiFi 6, WiFi 6E, and the upcoming WiFi 7? This article will examine the key differences and help you decide which you need.

WiFi 5 (802.11ac)

WiFi 5, also known as 802.11ac, was introduced in 2013. Here are the key features of WiFi 5:

• Frequency Band: 5 GHz
• Max Speed: Up to 3.5 Gbps
• Channel Width: Up to 160 MHz
• MIMO Streams: Up to 8×8 (8 transmit, 8 receive)
• Key Technologies: MU-MIMO, beamforming

WiFi 5 operates on the 5 GHz frequency band and uses wider channels of up to 160 MHz to deliver faster speeds compared to earlier 2.4 GHz WiFi versions. The max theoretical throughput is 3.5 Gbps but real-world speeds are typically ~1 Gbps.

WiFi 5 also introduced multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) which allows simultaneous data transmission to multiple devices, rather than one-at-a-time in older WiFi versions. This significantly improves connectivity for busy networks.

WiFi 5 Pros:

• Faster peak speeds than 2.4 GHz WiFi
• Wider channels reduce interference/congestion
• MU-MIMO enables simultaneous transmissions
• Better performance in dense environments

WiFi 5 Cons:

• Shorter range than 2.4 GHz WiFi
• Doesn’t handle congestion as well as WiFi 6
• Peak speeds only achieved close to router

WiFi 6 (802.11ax)

WiFi 6, or 802.11ax, builds on WiFi 5 technology but adds several optimizations to boost speed, capacity, and efficiency. Key features include:

• Frequency Bands: 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz
• Max Speed: Up to 9.6 Gbps
• Channel Width: Up to 160 MHz
• MIMO Streams: Up to 8×8
• Key Technologies: OFDMA, 1024-QAM

Speed & Capacity Improvements

WiFi 6 doubles the theoretical maximum speeds to 9.6 Gbps compared to WiFi 5. But more importantly, it improves real-world speeds by up to 4x in crowded environments.

This is thanks to new technologies like Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and 1024-QAM which boost capacity and throughput:

• OFDMA: Allows a channel to be divided into smaller sub-channels. Multiple devices can transmit simultaneously. Reduces latency.
• 1024-QAM: Increases throughput by encoding more data per transmission. 33% faster than WiFi 5’s 256-QAM.

WiFi 6 is also backwards compatible with 2.4 GHz WiFi for better range.

Efficiency & Coverage

Target Wake Time (TWT) helps improve battery life of WiFi devices by allowing them to sleep when not in use.

And enhancements like uplink/downlink OFDMA help optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion.

WiFi 6 access points have improved MU-MIMO capabilities to handle more simultaneous clients. And beamforming focuses signals towards devices to extend range.

WiFi 6 Pros:

• Up to 4x faster real-world speeds in busy networks
• Reduced latency
• Improved battery life of client devices
• Backwards compatible with 2.4 GHz WiFi
• Supports more simultaneous devices

WiFi 6 Cons:

• WiFi 6 devices needed to maximize benefits
• Initial devices had some compatibility issues

WiFi 6E

WiFi 6E builds on the WiFi 6 standard by adding support for the new 6 GHz band. Key features include:

• Frequency Bands: 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and new 6 GHz band
• Max Speed: Same as WiFi 6 – 9.6 Gbps
• Channel Width: Up to 160 MHz
• MIMO Streams: Up to 8×8
• Key Addition: 6 GHz band support

By expanding into the huge, uncongested 6 GHz band, WiFi 6E provides all the benefits of WiFi 6 along with:

• Less interference and congestion
• More available channels
• Lower latency
• Faster speeds at range

The extra bandwidth in the 6 GHz band means less competing traffic, so connections are faster and more reliable. Latency is lower making WiFi 6E optimal for gaming, VR, video streaming etc.

And with more available channels, up to 14 160 MHz channels compared to just 5 on 5 GHz, networks have more capacity to handle many devices efficiently.

WiFi 6E has the same max theoretical throughput of 9.6 Gbps as WiFi 6. But real-world speeds can potentially be 2-3x faster thanks to the spacious 6 GHz band.

WiFi 6E Pros:

• Access to uncongested 6 GHz spectrum
• Lower latency
• Less interference and congestion
• Faster speeds at range
• Supports very dense networks

WiFi 6E Cons:

• Requires new 6E capable devices
• Initial 6E device adoption is still low
• Full benefits require WiFi 6E router

WiFi 7 (802.11be)

WiFi 7 is the exciting upcoming next generation of WiFi. The WiFi Alliance only recently finalized the WiFi 7 naming in January 2023.

The official 802.11be designation is still in development and not expected until 2024. But WiFi 7 promises big improvements in speed, latency, capacity and coverage.

Faster Multi-Link Speeds

WiFi 7 will introduce multi-link operation which allows combining channels across bands for unprecedented speeds. By grouping together 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands, WiFi 7 can theoretically hit jaw-dropping speeds up to 46 Gbps!

Real-world speeds will be lower, but still an enormous leap over WiFi 6 and 6E. Bluetooth and Ethernet connections could also be integrated into the multi-link system.

Ultra-Low Latency

Latency will be reduced to sub 1 ms, down from around 10 ms on WiFi 6E. This near real-time response time will greatly benefit VR, gaming, video calls, autonomous devices etc.

Improved OFDMA & Interference Mitigation

More efficient OFDMA and coordination between bands will optimize quality of service for a massive number of devices. Interference will also be minimized via multi-RU puncturing and other enhancements.

Wider Channels & 4096-QAM

WiFi 7 will support channel widths up to 320 MHz wide in the 6 GHz band. And 4096-QAM will encode more data per transmission than 1024-QAM.

AI-Driven Networks

AI will help optimize WiFi 7 networks by dynamically monitoring connections and interference. Channels, bandwidth and client connections can be intelligently managed.

WiFi 7 Pros:

• Lightning fast multi-link speeds up to 46 Gbps
• Sub 1 ms ultra-low latency
• Supports extremely dense, high-performance networks
• Backwards compatible with WiFi 6E
• AI-optimization and self-configuring networks

WiFi 7 Cons:

• Not expected until 2024
• Requires upgrade of all devices/routers
• Specific benefits TBD until final standard

How To Choose: WiFi 5 vs WiFi 6 vs WiFi 6E vs WiFi 7

So which WiFi version is right for you? Here are some tips:

WiFi 5 – Sufficient for most unless you need advanced next-gen features

WiFi 5 offers a solid connection that meets the needs of average households and basic business uses. The only reason to upgrade from WiFi 5 is if you have an environment with lots of dense connections that would benefit from next-gen efficiencies.

WiFi 6 – Ideal for congested networks with many devices

Upgrade to WiFi 6 if your WiFi 5 network suffers from congestion or spotty performance – especially if you have 30+ connected devices. WiFi 6 will provide faster real-world speeds and support more simultaneous devices.

WiFi 6E – Cutting edge option if you want absolute best performance

WiFi 6E takes WiFi to the next level with super-fast low latency connections that are perfect for gaming and high-bandwidth uses. WiFi 6E is relatively new in 2023, so device support is limited but improving.

WiFi 7 – Hold off unless you MUST be on the bleeding edge

WiFi 7 will bring phenomenal speeds and low latency when it arrives in 2024. But it will require upgrading your router and all devices to see the benefits. WiFi 6E will still provide excellent performance for several years until WiFi 7 adoption increases.

Summary: Key Differences

Here’s a quick summary comparing WiFi 5 vs WiFi 6 vs WiFi 6E vs WiFi 7:

	WiFi 5	WiFi 6	WiFi 6E	WiFi 7
Year Introduced	2013	2019	2020	2024 (expected)
Frequency Bands	5 GHz	5 GHz & 2.4 GHz	5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 6 GHz	5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 6 GHz
Max Speed	3.5 Gbps	9.6 Gbps	9.6 Gbps	46 Gbps
Latency	Medium	Medium	Very Low	Ultra Low
Key Features	MU-MIMO, beamforming	OFDMA, 1024-QAM	6 GHz support	Multi-link, 4096-QAM, 320 MHz channels

So in summary:

• WiFi 5 delivers solid baseline performance using 5 GHz band
• WiFi 6 boosts speed and capacity for congested networks
• WiFi 6E reduces latency and congestion by adding 6 GHz
• WiFi 7 will bring huge speed and performance improvements

Choosing the right WiFi technology for your needs comes down to evaluating your coverage, speed, number of devices on the network, and types of usage (gaming, 4K video etc). As with any technology upgrade, sometimes it pays to wait while standards and device compatibility improve. But upgrading to WiFi 6 or WiFi 6E does provide tangible benefits if your connectivity demands it.