The WLAN standard states which transmission speed can be achieved. With the new generation of Wi-Fi 6, the pace is once again increased - up to 40% more than with Wi-Fi 5. Instead of the previously cryptic names , Wi-Fi 6 puts its generation directly in the name. As the end user, you can now more easily identify which WLAN standard is involved. But don't worry - if your devices don't support the new generation, nothing will change for you. And if you do, you benefit from the advantages. We'll show you the new features that Wi-Fi 6 has to offer.
Is there a difference between Wi-Fi 6 and WLAN ax?
No, both terms describe the same new WLAN standard that has been rolled out since the beginning of 2020. The Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA), which is responsible for the naming, has defined Wi-Fi 6 as the name of the IEEE standard 802.11ax - also known as WLAN ax. This makes the term more understandable for you as the end user - and instead of the somewhat cryptic name, it immediately becomes apparent that this is the sixth generation of Wi-Fi. The only difference is the name. Technically, there is no differentiation between Wi-Fi 6 and WLAN ax. By the way: you will often read the name as WiFi 6, Wifi ax or in other formulations. Only Wi-Fi is officially recognized by the Wi-Fi Alliance.
Here's what the difference between WiFi and Wi-Fi is..
What features does Wi-Fi 6 offer?
Wi-Fi 6 increases efficiency and makes it possible to operate multiple end devices at high, constant speeds at the same time. New services such as augmented reality, cloud gaming or 4K streams require new routers. The sixth generation WLAN standard offers efficient use of radio channels thanks to OFDMA ( Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) technology . For you as the end user, this means: more bandwidth per data stream. So you can easily run multiple 4K streams and cloud applications in your network at the same time.
In addition to OFDMA, Wi-Fi 6 also increases the speed of your WiFi. Compared to its predecessor, Wi-Fi 5, the data throughput can be increased by up to 40% . Better modulation with up to 1024 QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) is responsible for this. Although the WFA advertises that four times the capacity should be achieved compared to its predecessor, this is only achieved in multi-user MIMO operation (also MU-MIMO). In simple terms, this means that several clients receive data via the antennas of the router at the same time. This increases the overall throughput accordingly. As an individual client, the reality is different: 40% speed increase is the maximum here..
Conclusion: Wi-Fi 6 ensures that several devices can be connected to busy networks at the same time - without sacrificing speed. All of this is made possible by the OFDMA and MU-MIMO technologies shown.
Which devices support the new standard?
To do this, it is first necessary to differentiate between the end device and the distribution device. The second would be your router, which supplies your network with WiFi. For example, there is the Fritzbox 6660, which has already been tested by the c't. Other devices such as the TP-Link AX100 also offer entry into Wi-Fi 6 WLAN.
Wi-Fi 6-capable end devices have been gradually coming onto the market since 2019. New generations of Samsung's Galaxy series and the iPhone 11 series are equipped with Wi-Fi 6 and can reach up to 1200 Mbps gross. Laptops with the right wireless module for the current standard have also been on the market since summer 2019.