A thought leadership post from Anil Gupta, CTO & Co-Founder of Wyebot
In a previous blog post focused on breaking misconceptions around network speed, we mentioned an upcoming blog discussing WiFi 6 and its focus on efficiency. This is that blog. Let’s jump in.
WiFi 6 (or 802.11ax) is among recent WiFi enhancements within the last 5 years. Its release heralded improvements to the previous WiFi generation or standard, WiFi 5 (802.11ac). While this did include faster speeds, the main priority of WiFi 6 is making WiFi networks more efficient in increasingly dense environments.
In other words, while WiFi 1 through WiFi 5, and WiFi 7 (a subject for a future blog post), focused on maximizing speeds for a single user, WiFi 6 focuses on efficiency for multiple concurrent users.
WiFi 1 – 5, and 7
WiFi 6
WiFi 6 has a number of enhancements targeting improved efficiency in dense environments. The main ones are:
- MU-MIMO (Multiple User Multiple In and Multiple Out): With this technology, WiFi 6 APs can talk and listen to multiple devices simultaneously. This means that each device has a shorter wait time when it comes to sending and receiving data.
- Higher maximum throughput speed: While high speeds aren’t the most important change, it is true that WiFi 6 increased the maximum possible throughput speed to 10-12 Gbps. These speeds will never be reached by an individual device – there’s no device currently on the market that requires them or can reach them. However, when those speeds are shared between every connected device – and remember, we can be talking about thousands of devices at a time – it enables each device to now send more data in a shorter amount of time.
- Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA): This is the most significant of the WiFi 6 enhancements and the one that most improves efficiency. Let’s discuss it in more detail.
OFDMA allows up to 30 client devices to share a WiFi channel. This boosts overall network capacity and improves network efficiency while reducing latency.
Prior to WiFi 6, the focus was allowing one single device to transmit data faster and faster. Since WiFi is a shared medium and all connected devices must wait their turn to transmit and receive data, faster speeds are helpful.
However, someone looked at our WiFi and said, “If no single device needs 200mbps (example), and we have more and more devices connecting to networks, is there something we can do that lets more devices “talk” at the same time, even if they talk at slower speeds?”
This led to WiFi 6 and OFDMA.
With this enhancement, available channel width is divided amongst connected devices. Rather than increasing channel width so devices can communicate faster, WiFi 6 moves in the opposite direction – segmenting channels so there are more opportunities for more devices to transmit data simultaneously.
While this might sound counterintuitive, it makes sense when you understand actual network speed requirements.
They are far slower than many people think. Not slow – but slower. Slow WiFi speeds will cause productivity issues for users. And BTW “slow” is really a relative thing in that “slow compared to what?”. The speed should be interpreted relative to one’s needs. And what we are saying here is that the need is not that high. Therefore slower speeds – when they still optimally deliver what is needed – can keep operational efficiency high.
Most WiFi applications don’t actually require that much speed. Streaming video is the most data intensive, requiring around 20 Mbps per device, but how many people are streaming video during a work day or school day? Not very many.
Video collaboration utilization is much more common, but those applications only require around 4 Mbps for 10 or more participants using HD video quality. The bandwidth requirement doesn’t increase if more participants join due to advanced processing on the video-conferencing server side.
So, there isn’t a need for faster and faster speeds, but for more devices to use the slower speeds they need at the same time.
Enter OFDMA.
If you’re having trouble picturing this, think of a highway. The channel widths are highway lanes and connected devices are moving vehicles.
WiFi 4 and 5 gave the highway wider lanes so that a single car could travel faster (send and receive more data at a time). However, the lanes were built assuming everyone had a racecar, whereas many times people were using bicycles to travel.
WiFi 6 therefore divided the highway lanes into smaller lanes, fit for bicycles. Now, thirty bicycles can travel at the same speed they were already using, however they can all move at the same time rather than waiting in line to travel one at a time.
Yes, you do. You will require WiFi 6 capable APs and WiFi 6 capable client devices.
Depending on how many APs and devices you upgrade, this can be an expensive process. This is one reason why I don’t recommend organizations upgrade their entire network the minute a new standard is introduced. Unless, of course, you are on a refresh cycle. In this case, when your budget is already allocated towards upgrading hardware, it makes sense to go all-in on WiFi 6.
For everyone else, you need to determine if WiFi 6 will improve the user experience significantly, making the unscheduled upgrade worth it. This doesn’t have to mean upgrading your entire infrastructure. Remember, WiFi 6 improves efficiency in dense environments. Think auditoriums, cafeterias, and stadiums. Upgrade these and similar areas first, and plan to do the rest of your environment following your regular refresh cycle.
It is. WiFi 6 supports WiFi 5 and older hardware and devices.
The “E” in 6E stands for “extended.” WiFi 6E is an extension of WiFi 6 into the 6GHz frequency band.
WiFi 6 is a new generation, or standard, of WiFi. WiFi 6E is the designation or industry name for products that will operate in the 6GHz wireless spectrum while continuing to use the WiFi 6 standard. All of WiFi 6’s enhancements apply to 6E, just as they apply to the 2.4 and 5GHz frequencies.
For more discussion on the 6GHz wireless spectrum, the differences between 6E and 6, and 6E pros and potential cons, check out this blog post: Is WiFi 6E Different from WiFi 6?
Know your network
Now that you know what WiFi 6 does, and its primary goal of efficiency, the question is – will WiFi 6 improve your user experience?
The only way to know, is to know – in detail – your current user experience. For that, you need complete network visibility with real time and historical behavior and performance analytics.
The AI-powered Wireless Intelligence Platform™ (WIP), a digital experience management solution, can help.
Ask us about a free demo or trial today.
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