Wi-Fi 6

Generation IEEE
standard
Adopted Maximum
link rate
(Mbit/s)
Radio
frequency
(GHz)
Wi-Fi 8 802.11bn 2028 100,000[1] 2.4, 5, 6, 7,
42.5, 71[2]
Wi-Fi 7 802.11be 2024 1376–46,120 2.4, 5, 6[3]
Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax 2020 574–9608[4] 6[a]
Wi-Fi 6 2019 2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac 2014 433–6933 5[b]
Wi-Fi 4 802.11n 2008 72–600 2.4, 5
(Wi-Fi 3)* 802.11g 2003 6–54 2.4
(Wi-Fi 2)* 802.11a 1999 5
(Wi-Fi 1)* 802.11b 1999 1–11 2.4
(Wi-Fi 0)* 802.11 1997 1–2 2.4
*Wi‑Fi 0, 1, 2, and 3 are named by retroactive inference.
They do not exist in the official nomenclature.[5][6][7]

Wi-Fi 6, or IEEE 802.11ax, is an IEEE standard from the Wi-Fi Alliance, for wireless networks (WLANs). It operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands,[8] with an extended version, Wi-Fi 6E, that adds the 6 GHz band.[9] It is an upgrade from Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), with improvements for better performance in crowded places. Wi-Fi 6 covers frequencies in license-exempt bands between 1 and 7.125 GHz, including the commonly used 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, as well as the broader 6 GHz band.[10]

This standard aims to boost data speed (throughput-per-area[c]) in crowded places like offices and malls. Though the nominal data rate is only 37%[11] better than 802.11ac, the total network speed increases by 300%,[12] making it more efficient and reducing latency by 75%.[13] The quadrupling of overall throughput is made possible by a higher spectral efficiency.

802.11ax Wi-Fi has a main feature called OFDMA, similar to how cell technology works with Wi-Fi.[11] This brings better spectrum use, improved power control to avoid interference, and enhancements like 1024‑QAM, MIMO and MU-MIMO for faster speeds. There are also reliability improvements such as lower power consumption and security protocols like Target Wake Time and WPA3.

The 802.11ax standard was approved on September 1, 2020, with Draft 8 getting 95% approval. Subsequently, on February 1, 2021, the standard received official endorsement from the IEEE Standards Board.[14]

  1. ^ "What is Wi-Fi 8?". everythingrf.com. March 25, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  2. ^ Giordano, Lorenzo; Geraci, Giovanni; Carrascosa, Marc; Bellalta, Boris (November 21, 2023). "What Will Wi-Fi 8 Be? A Primer on IEEE 802.11bn Ultra High Reliability". arXiv:2303.10442.
  3. ^ "Understanding Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E/7". wiisfi.com.
  4. ^ "MCS table (updated with 80211ax data rates)". semfionetworks.com.
  5. ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (2018-10-03). "Wi-Fi Now Has Version Numbers, and Wi-Fi 6 Comes Out Next Year". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  6. ^ Phillips, Gavin (18 January 2021). "The Most Common Wi-Fi Standards and Types, Explained". MUO - Make Use Of. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Wi-Fi Generation Numbering". ElectronicsNotes. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Generational Wi-Fi® User Guide" (PDF). Wi-Fi Alliance. October 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Wi-Fi 6E expands Wi-Fi® into 6 GHz" (PDF). Wi-Fi Alliance. January 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  10. ^ "FCC Opens 6 GHz Band to Wi-Fi and Other Unlicensed Uses". www.fcc.gov. 24 April 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  11. ^ a b c Khorov, Evgeny; Kiryanov, Anton; Lyakhov, Andrey; Bianchi, Giuseppe (2019). "A Tutorial on IEEE 802.11ax High Efficiency WLANs". IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials. 21 (1): 197–216. doi:10.1109/COMST.2018.2871099.
  12. ^ Aboul-Magd, Osama (17 March 2014). "802.11 HEW SG Proposed PAR" (DOCX). www.ieee.org. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  13. ^ Goodwins, Rupert (3 October 2018). "Next-generation 802.11ax wi-fi: Dense, fast, delayed". www.zdnet.com. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  14. ^ "IEEE 802.11, The Working Group Setting the Standards for Wireless LANs". www.ieee802.org. Retrieved 2022-01-07.


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