Although a number of individuals have recently updated to WiFi 6 or WiFi 6e, the successor to these standards has already been introduced. WiFi 7 marks the next significant progression, and similar to its forerunners, it pledges swifter connections, diminished latency, and the capacity to efficiently manage a greater number of connections.
if you are contemplating enhancing your WiFi immediately, WiFi 7 might not be the optimal solution due to limited support. nevertheless, pioneers will be enthused to learn about the unveiling of the “WiFi 7 certified” initiative by the WiFi alliance. in practical terms, it will be some time before the majority of users should think about transitioning. for those in need of an upgrade right away, explore guides on acquiring a router first before referring to our recommendations for top WiFi routers and mesh WiFi systems.
What Exactly is WiFi 7?
WiFi 7, the 7th generation of wireless technology, brings forth substantial enhancements compared to its predecessors, WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E, potentially delivering four times the speed. Alongside increased speed, it introduces innovative features aimed at reducing latency, expanding capacity, and enhancing overall efficiency and stability.
In the older naming convention, WiFi 7 corresponds to IEEE 802.11be, following IEEE 802.11ax (WiFi 6) and IEEE 802.11ac (WiFi 5). As with prior standards, the new WiFi 7 maintains backward compatibility. However, to fully leverage the latest features and heightened performance it offers, upgrading your devices is essential. This entails acquiring new routers, and access points, and potentially updating smartphones, TVs, laptops, and other compatible devices.
Advantages of WiFi7
High speed, more capacity for connections, and greater flexibility are all displayed by WiFi 7, which guarantees a dependable low latency experience.
All these key features help to provide excellent video quality, a better experience in cloud gaming, and effective support for VR and AR applications that need low latency and maximum throughput. WiFi 7 has the ability to tackle interference and congestion, offering noticeable benefits in areas where devices are densely packed together or where networks overlap. The WiFi7 is especially significant in larger venues and broad business setups.
Drawing a Comparison Between WiFi 7 and WiFi 6E
It’s natural to inquire about the disparities between WiFi 7 and WiFi 6E, both of which share the overarching goal of providing enhanced features over preceding standards by incorporating the 6-GHz band. This curiosity is valid, especially considering that WiFi 7 is going to utilize the familiar three bands: 6GHz, 5GHz, and 2.4 GHz. Let’s delve into some noteworthy improvements:
Wider Channels
In terms of channel distribution, each and every band is subdivided into specific channels. The 6-GHz band, with WiFi 6E, accommodates 60 channels, expandable to widths of up to 160 MHz. The 5-GHz band features 45 channels, offering the flexibility to combine into 40 or 80-MHz channels, deviating from the fixed 20-MHz width. Meanwhile, the 2.4-GHz band encompasses 11 channels, each spanning 20 megahertz (MHz). Notably, WiFi 7 surpasses this with support for channels as wide as 320 MHz.
Multi-Link Operation
Arguably, one of the most thrilling advancements in WiFi 7 is the introduction of Multi-Link Operation (MLO). In all preceding WiFi standards, in a single band, a connection was established between two devices. Even with a WiFi 6E (tri-band) router, the connection typically involves two devices on a channel within the 6-GHz, 5-GHz, and 4-GHz band, as determined by the router.
However, MLO breaks this mold by enabling the amalgamation of multiple frequencies across different bands to a singular connection. The WiFi 7 router, for instance, can concurrently make a connection to the WiFi 7 device using more than two channels across diverse bands. MLO has the potential to facilitate broader channels, allowing for the transmission of larger volumes of data. Linking this with a highway analogy, it’s akin to simultaneously directing traffic on both the highway and the expressway.
Multi-link operation (MLO) in WiFi 7 offers increased efficiency in addition to speed. The WiFi 7 router has the ability to pick the best channel for transmission by taking interference and congestion into account. It can also navigate barriers with skill to keep low latency and a steady connection. This capacity for adaptation guarantees dependable and constant functioning.
The benefits of MLO go beyond overcoming a 6-GHz band’s comparatively short range. This capability becomes especially useful when you move around your house and need to retain smooth communication via a mesh system. A more stable and reliable wireless experience is enhanced by MLO’s capacity to reduce problems like interference and maximize channel use.
Higher QAM
Radio-frequency waves are used in the transmission and reception of data using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), where a higher QAM indicates a higher data density. WiFi 7 has the capability for 4K-QAM, which is more than the 1,024-QAM of WiFi 6 and the 256-QAM limit of WiFi 5.
Higher QAM might have advantages, but they are affected by interference, background noise, and signal intensity, among other things. The range decreases with increasing QAM levels, hence a strong signal is required. In comparison to WiFi 5, the switch to 1,024-QAM in the WiFi 6 produced a data rate improvement of around 25%. The transition of WiFi 7 to 4K-QAM results in a 20% boost in top performance.
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