WiFi has become a fundamental facet of our daily lives. But what is WiFi, and what are the different WiFi standards?

In this guide, learn about the various WiFi standards. Read on for a comparison between WiFi 6 standards and WiFi 6E, the future of wireless connections and how they can help your business.

What Is WiFi?

WiFi, short for Wireless Fidelity, is the wireless technology that connects computers, printers, and smartphones to the internet and each other using radio frequency signals instead of wires. Any wireless-capable device — your smartphone, laptop, or tablet — can pick up the WiFi signal within a certain distance in all directions.

WiFi uses wireless standards: a set of basic services and protocols that govern the operation of a wireless network (or other data transmission networks). 

What Are WiFi Standards?

WiFi standards specify the exact operating mechanism of an internet connection. They act as a predefined set of protocols that control the capabilities of the particular WiFi network you connect to. 

Think of roads and their specific rules and requirements for connecting points A to B. Cars drive on the right in the U.S. and on the left in the U.K. Without set traffic guidelines, however, free-for-all driving would lead to crashes and general breakdowns. Similarly, incompatible devices wouldn't be unable to communicate without WiFi standards. 

The Different WiFi Standards

All WiFi-enabled devices are designed to comply with standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). There are currently five wireless standards, each with its unique features. The 802.11 wireless standards may differ in speed, transmission range, and frequencies used but are similar in implementation. All wireless standards can use either infrastructure or ad-hoc network designs. Additionally, each can use the same security protocols.

IEEE 802.11: The Original Standard

The original WiFi 1 was 802.11, which had two variations. Both offered transmission speeds of 1 or 2 Mbps with the same RF of 2.4 GHz. The difference was the way data was transmitted over the RF medium. One used FHSS, and the other used DSSS. The original protocol version was too slow for modern network needs and is now deprecated.

IEEE 802.11ax: Faster Speeds with (ac)

IEEE 802.11ax is the next extension of the 802.11 WiFi series over 802.11ac. "Ac" has a maximum data rate of 7 Gbps for Wave 2 devices. "Ax" has a maximum data rate of 10 Gbps, which is considered only a slight increase for the next WiFi generation.

WiFi 6: The Newest Gold Standard

The newest gold standard, WiFi 6, significantly improves WiFi capabilities with several improvements, extensions, and additions. Nearly every component is enhanced with the IEEE 802.11ax standard, improving user capacity, data rates, latency, and power efficiency.

WiFi 7: The Future of WiFi

IEEE 802.11be's Extremely High Throughput (EHT) is the following potential change in the 802.11 IEEE standard, which could be called WiFi 7. The future of wireless is built on top of 802.11ax. It is focused on indoor and outdoor fixed-speed and walking-speed WiFi operations in the 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz frequency bands. The theoretical maximum speed is expected to reach a whopping 30 Gbps.

Comparing WiFi 6, and WiFi 6E WiFi Networks

WiFi 6 accounts for most home wireless router sales, but new wireless data standards are emerging. WiFi Alliance announced its WiFi 6E in 2020. While the name suggests a slight step up from WiFi 6 standards, WiFi 6E trumps its predecessor in multiple regulatory domains. Here are the significant differences between WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E networks. 

Maximum Speed of WiFi Standards

The current WiFi standards operate in two frequency bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. WiFi 6E adds access to a third at 6 GHz. The higher the frequency, the faster the throughput. This means that when you install a WiFi 6E product like the new Nest WiFi Pro, you can enjoy total speeds of up to 5.4 Gbps — twice as fast as WiFi 6.

The exclusive frequency band not only means efficiency and reliability but also results in lower latency. WiFi 6E, thus, helps to provide seamless real-time experiences in videoconferencing and gaming.

Power Efficiency of WiFi Standards

WiFi 6 standards brought with it improved device power management for longer battery life. However, WiFi 6E raised the standard of efficiency in active power consumption.

When WiFi Alliance introduced WiFi 6E in January 2022, they unveiled several device power management features for enterprise devices and Internet of Things (IoT) deployments. These features include Broadcast Target Wake Time (TWT), Extended Sleep Time, and Dynamic Multi-User Spatial Multiplexing Power Savings (SMPS). These elements allow multiple devices to receive more extended sleep periods and set specific "wake-up" times for data transmission. They also dynamically turn off redundant receive chains to optimize power consumption.

WiFi Devices

WiFi 6E devices capitalize on a dedicated 6E spectrum with room for up to seven additional 160 MHz channels. WiFi 6 devices, on the other hand, share the spectrum and only two 160 MHz channels with WiFi 4, 5, and 6 devices. This results in congested traffic. 

WiFi 6E devices, thus, can enjoy gigabit speeds easily, while WiFi 6 devices can't utilize the 6 GHz spectrum.

Furthermore, WiFi 6E devices can work on legacy wireless technologies like WiFi 6 and Wireless-AC. The backward compatibility extends to even older WiFi 4, 5, and 6 networks in 2.4/5 GHz bands when required.

Are You Ready for the Future of WiFi Standards?

Wireless technology and current WiFi standards are evolving rapidly. It isn't about incremental upgrades anymore. WiFi 6 standards hit the wireless shores as not just a speed boost but as a significant future-facing upgrade. As discussed above, the WiFi 6E upgrade has already surpassed its previous version, and WiFi 7 seems just around the corner. 

However, a connection is only as fast as the equipment supporting it. Not satisfied with your current WiFi performance? Looking for a WiFi 6 router or cellular antenna for maximum reliability? Novotech is here for you. 

Novotech is a leading Internet of Things hardware and services distributor in North America. Our range of cellular modems features leading brands such as Thales, Cradlepoint, Inseego, RedLion, etc. We also offer routers, gateways, and indoor and outdoor antennas suitable for your application. 

Reach out to us, and our team of experts will give you information about top-tier products with the highest quality of service.