Firstly we see what is WiFi?
WiFi is stands for wireless fidelity. It is a wireless local area network that allows to access or connect to a network using radio waves. This can be used on various devices like computers, smartphones, and TVs etc. Simply speaking, it provides a standard way to connect with wireless networking. The WiFi network is based on 802.11 standards developed by IEEE. It is trademarked by the Wi-fi alliance.
How does WiFi work?
Wi-fi works like Signals are sent through radio waves to various devices. The receiving device needs to be set to receive waves of a certain frequency. The WiFi frequency range is 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. This is a higher frequency than those used for walkie-talkies, mobile phones, TVs. This higher WiFi frequency range allows signals to carry more data.
Let’s see how WiFi really works:
- A fiber cable or analog line can connects an internet source, like a broadband mode.
- The WiFi router receives the internet connection via a wide area network (WAN) port.
- The WiFi router gives off wireless signals via radio waves to a card or an adapter in a computer, phone, or other devices to establish two-way communication.
What is WiFi 6?
Wifi 6 is the newest standard in WiFi. The newest version of WiFi standards is 802.11ax (WiFi-6) and is an upgrade over the previous standard, which is 802.11ac (WiFi-5). This upgraded standard, Wifi 6, is mainly for compatible devices (like routers) to transmit wifi signals more efficiently. Wifi 6 was built in response to the growing number of devices in the world, and to improve performance in high network densities like apartments with multiple routers or outdoor stadiums.
Is Wi-Fi 6 really that fast?
WiFi 6 is an upgraded standard over its previous version with better speed (upload and download) being one of the features. WiFi 6 can achieve a maximum throughput (download speed) of 9.6Gbps across multiple channels compared to 3.5 Gbps in WiFi-5.
However, the point to note is that a single WiFi 6 laptop connected to a WiFi 6 router will be only marginally faster than a single WiFi5 laptop on a WiFi5 router. WiFi6 is all about improving the network when more and more devices are get connected. WiFi 6 typically keeps connections strong even with multiple devices get connected and demand data.