Wi-Fi 5 vs Wi-Fi 6: what are the differences and network speeds

Wi-Fi 6 is the latest wireless network standard and the reference point for those who want a stable and fast connection everywhere in the house. This technology takes the best from Wi-Fi 5 by adding new features designed to decrease latency, increase speed beyond all limits and manage a large number of simultaneous wireless connections.

In the following guide we will show you in detail the differences between Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6also showing you which are the best Wi-Fi 6 modems and routers to focus on and what the future of wireless connections holds for us (with Wi-Fi 6E).

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1) Wi-Fi features 6

Wi-Fi 6 is a wireless technology capable of operating on both the 2.4 GHz frequency and the 5 GHz frequency, however exploiting much wider channels and with new transmission technologies. The most interesting feature of Wi-Fi 6 is OFDMAThat significantly reduces the latency of the wireless signal in sending packets to a multitude of connected devices.

To give a practical example, we have to imagine the wireless waves as a truck that carries data from the modem to the devices: with Wi-Fi 5 the truck can only carry the data of a single device (so more trucks will be needed for each connected device ), while with Wi-Fi 6 the truck can carry data from multiple devices together, decreasing latency and optimizing data transmission.

2) Wi-Fi 5 vs Wi-Fi 6: who offers the best coverage?

Il Wi-Fi 5 only exploits the 5GHz frequencyexcellent for devices in the same room as the modem but unsuitable for devices further away (a simple wall is enough to cut the signal until it disappears completely within 2 rooms).

Wi-Fi 6 uses both the 5 GHz frequency and the 2.4 GHz frequency: this means that nearby devices will travel at a high speed, while further away devices will only be able to connect on the 2.4 GHz frequency, obtaining a good speed (superior to the old Wi-Fi 4, which used the 2.5 GHz frequency GHz but with much slower speeds).

For more information, read our guide to differences between 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks.

3) Wi-Fi 5 vs Wi-Fi 6: Who offers the best speed?

From the point of view of speed, Wi-Fi 6 wins on all fronts, given that it uses a greater number of transmission channels on the 5 GHz frequencies. This translates into speeds of up to 11 Gbps in download and uploadagainst the average 6 Gbps obtainable with the most powerful Wi-Fi 5 modems around.

For devices further away from the modem, the speed drops dramaticallygiven that only the 2.4 GHz frequency is used: in this scenario we will obtain an average speed of 300 Mbps, more than enough for home automation, smart speakers and for computers with little need for streaming, gaming and P2P .

Wi-Fi 6 lends itself very well to being used in a configuration Wi-Fi Mesh, so as to be able to bring maximum speed to every point of the house. For further information, we can read our guide to best 5 GHz wifi repeaters.

4)Wi-Fi 6E: the maximum evolution of Wi-Fi 6

The maximum evolution of Wi-Fi 6 is the Wi-Fi 6Ea very important enhancement that introduces support for new 6 GHz frequencywhich joins the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz already supported by the basic version of the technology.

With this version we will get 7 additional channels at 160 MHz (thanks to the new available frequency), minimized latency e minimal network congestion for WiFi 6E clientswho will be able to take advantage of the new frequency without suffering interference.

However, increasing the transmission frequency reduces the coverage: in fact, the new frequency can be used within a few meters of the modem and any object is enough to interrupt the signal. In any case, we will still have the coverage guaranteed by the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies, more than sufficient for the management of content that requires maximum capacity (4K streaming, online gaming and P2P data exchange).

5) Migliori modem e router Wi-Fi 6 e Wi-Fi 6E

Now that we know the advantages of Wi-Fi 6 technology, let’s see together the best modems and routers that we can buy to benefit from this technology, starting from the assumption that we want to update an old modem or router (since telephone operators offer, within from the new offersgreat modems with built-in Wi-Fi 6).

The best modem o router con Wi-Fi 6 I am:

• TP-Link Archer AX55: cheap and powerful, excellent for those who want to start using this technology without overdoing it.
• AVM FRITZ!Box 4060 AX Edition: powerful router with Wi-Fi 6 up to 6 Gbit/s and 2.5 Gigabit port for connections to the new fiber optic lines.
• NETGEAR Router WiFi 6 Nighthawk AX6: Great Wi-Fi 6 router optimized for gaming and high-speed transmission.

If, on the other hand, we are looking for a router Wi-Fi 6Ewe can take a look at the following models:

• TP-Link Archer AXE75: among the “cheapest” Wi-Fi 6E routers we can get our hands on.
• Amazon eero Pro 6E: Amazon’s most advanced routers, able to function as a mesh Wi-Fi network and take advantage of the new Wi-Fi 6E technology for maximum coverage.
• NETGEAR Nighthawk Router WiFi 6E AXE11000: an exaggerated Wi-Fi 6E router in terms of price and top-of-the-range performance.

We can view other fast and performing modems in our ai guide best router for fiber.

Conclusions

Wi-Fi 6 is the future of wireless, and it has only merits: Offers great coverage, blazing speed in close proximity, offers ultra-low latency, and is optimized for connecting multiple devices at the same time.

Given its rapid diffusion on phones and smart home devices, we advise you to switch as soon as possible to a Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E modem or router, so as to be able to benefit from the most advanced technology (however backwards compatible with devices that support only Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 4).

To learn more we can read our guides on how to activate 5 GHz wifi in windows It is on why wifi is slow and how to fix it.