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Chances are your household uses Wi-Fi 5. But you should be using Wi-Fi 6. Before we get into all the reasons Wi-Fi 6 is better than Wi-Fi 5, let’s get a few things sorted out.
First of All, Let’s Break It Down
We promise not to get too technical, but yes, there are different types of Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi 6 is now the best. Wi-Fi has different technical generations, just like smartphone networks, and in much the same way that 5G is a big step up from 4G, Wi-Fi 6 is a big step up from Wi-Fi 5. You could still use either, but Wi-Fi 6 is better for a bunch of reasons. Read on to find out more.
Wi-Fi 6 Allows More Users
Wi-Fi 5 has a limit of four simultaneous transmissions at a time. This means that only four devices can talk to the Wi-Fi at once. More than that and the Wi-Fi needs to start switching between devices rapidly. This results in slower speeds and maybe some degradation in whatever you’re trying to do—for example, your YouTube video might be lower quality if other devices in your house are accessing Wi-Fi at the same time.
Wi-Fi 6, on the other hand, allows eight simultaneous transmissions at once. Not only does this mean double the devices communicating with your router at the same time, but Wi-Fi 6 also allows devices to connect via multiple bands if they’re available.
Wi-Fi 6 Supports More Devices
You’ve probably seen, say, around 10 devices in your home “connected” to your Wi-Fi 5 router. As we’ve mentioned, they’re not all actually transmitting at once, since Wi-Fi 5 only handles four transmissions at a time, but if your devices are “connected” it’s easy for your Wi-Fi 5 router to switch between those connected devices. When you try to add more, you run into trouble. This is because Wi-Fi 5 has a limited number of subcarriers that devices can use to access channels. You can still connect 50 devices in your household to a Wi-Fi 5 router if you wanted to, but what’s really happening is devices are fighting over a limited number of spots. They’re dropping in and out of connectivity and probably not doing what you need them to do.
With Wi-Fi 6, there are actually hundreds more subcarriers that your many connectable devices can use. Go ahead and connect those 50 devices to your Wi-Fi 6 router—they each get their own spot, and they won’t drop in and out of your network.
Wi-Fi 6 Is Faster
You knew this was coming. For technical reasons we don’t need to get into, Wi-Fi 6 has a higher theoretical maximum data transfer than Wi-Fi 5. But also, you’ll notice a bump in speed just because Wi-Fi 6 is better at managing a household full of devices, for reasons previously discussed.
Wi-Fi 6 Has Better Security
Wi-Fi 6 routers have Web Protected Access 3 (WPA3), the latest and greatest in network security protocols. If you want the details, you can read about it here. If not, just know that this is the new standard in network security.
Wi-Fi 6 Has a Cool Energy-Saving Feature
You might have guessed, given how many devices Wi-Fi 6 can connect to simultaneously, that this new standard was designed with Internet of Things (IoT) users in mind. And you’re right. But it has one other cool feature IoT users will surely love.
It’s called target wake time (TWT). Basically, if you have a battery-powered device, a great deal of the battery power goes into making sure it stays connected to Wi-Fi. TWT is a technology that tells these battery-powered devices to put their Wi-Fi radios to sleep when they’re not needed.
So Should You Upgrade Right Away?
We think so. Wi-Fi 6 routers such as the TP-Link X50 are designed for households with lots and lots of internet-connected devices, offering better speed and better security. Wi-Fi 6 is the new standard, but it only launched in 2021. If you have a Wi-Fi 5 router, rest assured that it’ll still doing what it’s been doing. But if you’re adding more and more devices to your home network, or if you just want even better speed and security, consider upgrading to Wi-Fi 6.
