WiFi 6 is starting to be available on more and more devices. This new standard incorporates many advantages in terms of speed, stability, coverage and security , and it is something that we must look to have the next device we buy. However, the WiFi 6E is already beginning to appear, and a new test demonstrates some of its advantages.
The WiFi 6E incorporates as a novelty the possibility of using wireless connectivity through the 6 GHz network . This new spectrum was officially released in the EU last June, where 480 MHz in the lower part of the band, between 5,925 and 6,425 MHz , have remained free, compared to the more than 1.1 GHz that have been released in America for it.
WiFi 6E is faster thanks to 6 GHz
However, the speed improvements are quite important, since we have higher capacity channels , where we can have up to six of 80 MHz, or three of 160 MHz . The wider the frequency a channel uses, the faster it can reach.
Intel is one of the manufacturers that is betting the most on the WiFi 6E , already offering the possibility of using this connectivity through the AX series laptop network cards. Specifically, Intel has the AX210 , which we can find online at prices as low as 22 euros. With it, we can put WiFi 6E connectivity to any laptop with an M.2 Key A + E connector. The card allows speeds of up to 2,400 Mbps.
For this reason, Intel and CableLabs have carried out a series of tests with this connectivity in a 335 square meter house divided into two floors to demonstrate its improvements. The house of evidence is as follows:
The space seeks to replicate a normal and ordinary house in the United States, using for example plasterboard partitions and materials such as wood. The laptops with WiFi 6E were placed in different parts of the house, where the main emitter was an ASUS router. In the tests they used frequencies of 5 and 6 GHz to see the difference in performance in both, in addition to doing other tests with more nearby wireless networks.
Speeds up to 1.7 Gbps
With the laptops located closer to the router, they achieved speeds of 1.7 Gbps downstream and 1.2 Gbps upstream using 160 MHz channels , offering speeds even better than Gigabit Ethernet. By using larger channels, and relative broadcast power based on bandwidth, much higher speed could be achieved while also obtaining better coverage.
Current estimates speak that this year more than 338 million devices with WiFi 6E connectivity will be sold, and that 20% of all devices with WiFi 6 connectivity that are distributed in 2022 will already be compatible with the 6 GHz band. Network needs are increasingly high, and therefore having the best possible connectivity is very important. Thus, if you are going to buy something from now on, check that it has WiFi 6. For operators to offer routers compatible with WiFi 6E there is still a while.
