WiFi 6 vs 6E vs 7: Key Differences Explained

As wireless networking technology continues to evolve, WiFi 6, WiFi 6E, and the upcoming WiFi 7 are bringing increasingly powerful capabilities for faster and more reliable internet connections.

In this guide, we’ll delve into the core features of WiFi 6, 6E, and WiFi 7, compare their performance, and help you understand which technology is best suited to your needs as wireless standards advance.

This page explores the key differences between WiFi 6, 6E, and Wi-Fi 7.

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)

Wi-Fi 6 is the successor to Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), designed to improve overall network performance, especially in dense environments like homes, offices, and public spaces. It introduces the following features:

• Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA): Splits channels to serve multiple devices simultaneously, reducing latency and increasing efficiency.
• Target Wake Time (TWT): Helps reduce battery usage in IoT devices by allowing them to schedule check-ins with the router.
• 1024-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation): Provides faster data transmission by packing more data into each signal.
• MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output): Supports communication with multiple devices at once, improving overall network performance.
• Speed: Theoretical max speed of 9.6 Gbps, though actual performance depends on network conditions.

Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax Extended)

Wi-Fi 6E is essentially Wi-Fi 6 extended to the 6 GHz frequency band, which offers additional spectrum and lower interference. Key enhancements include:

• 6 GHz Band: Adds a new, wide frequency spectrum (from 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz), offering up to 1200 MHz of additional bandwidth, reducing congestion.
• Wider Channels: Supports 160 MHz channel bandwidth in the 6 GHz band, providing faster speeds and lower latency in less crowded airspace.
• Same Features as Wi-Fi 6: Inherits all the improvements from Wi-Fi 6 like OFDMA, TWT, MU-MIMO, and 1024-QAM.

Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)

Wi-Fi 7, also known as Extremely High Throughput (EHT), is the next-generation Wi-Fi technology designed to handle the growing demand for bandwidth in advanced applications like AR/VR, 8K video, and high-speed gaming. Key features include:

• 320 MHz Channels: Doubles the maximum channel width from 160 MHz in Wi-Fi 6/6E to 320 MHz, significantly increasing data throughput.
• 4096-QAM: Introduces a higher modulation scheme (4096-QAM), allowing for more data to be transmitted per signal.
• Multi-Link Operation (MLO): Allows devices to connect on multiple bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) simultaneously, reducing latency and improving throughput.
• Multi-RU (Resource Unit) Puncturing: Improves spectral efficiency by utilizing fragmented spectrum more effectively.
• Speed: Theoretical maximum speeds up to 46 Gbps, a massive improvement over Wi-Fi 6 and 6E.

Comparison between WiFi 6, 6E, and Wi-Fi 7

The following table compares WiFi 6 vs 6E vs 7 and mentions similarities and differences between them.

Summary

• Wi-Fi 6: Focuses on improving efficiency, capacity, and speed, particularly in crowded environments. It’s already widely deployed and works on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

• Wi-Fi 6E: Builds on Wi-Fi 6 by adding the 6 GHz band, which provides more spectrum and less congestion, improving speed and reducing latency in high-traffic environments.

• Wi-Fi 7: Represents the future of wireless networking, offering extreme throughput, very low latency, and advanced features like MLO, designed for next-gen applications like 8K streaming, AR/VR, and high-performance gaming.