You probably have heard about WiFi 6. So what is it? Just a cool marketing buzz word or are there some real benefits for the end-users? Let's break it down!
First, the new naming system identifies Wi-Fi generations by a numerical sequence which correspond to major advancements in Wi-Fi. The numerical sequence includes:
- Wi-Fi 6 to identify devices that support 802.11ax technology
- Wi-Fi 5 to identify devices that support 802.11ac technology
- Wi-Fi 4 to identify devices that support 802.11n technology
There are some Q&A's to get you started:
Q. What is 802.11ax?
A. The emerging IEEE 802.11ax standard is the latest step in a journey of nonstop innovation. It builds on the strengths of 802.11ac while adding flexibility and scalability that lets new and existing networks power next-generation applications.
Q. Is Wi-Fi 6 different from 802.11ax?
A. The Wi-Fi Alliance has started a campaign to use the term “Wi-Fi 6” when referring to the IEEE 802.11ax standard, indicating the sixth generation of Wi-Fi. The goal is to simplify the marketing message to better position Wi-Fi relative to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards used in cellular such as 5G which is the 5th Generation of 3GPP. The Wi-Fi 6 name is becoming very common now due to its simplicity. However. 802.11ax is interchangeable with Wi-Fi 6.
Q. What additional features can I expect from Wi-Fi 6?
A. Cisco, along with other vendors, has been working with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) on the Wi-Fi 6 standard. When ratified, Wi-Fi 6 will build on the success of 802.11ac, delivering a better experience in typical environments and more predictable performance for advanced applications such as 4K or 8K video; high-density, high-definition collaboration apps; all-wireless offices; and the Internet of Things (IoT). Wi-Fi 6 will drive Wi-Fi toward the future as the growth of wireless continues.
Q. Will Wi-Fi 6 be backward compatible with previous generations of Wi-Fi?
A. In Wi-Fi 6, all devices must also support all the mandatory 802.11a, b, g, n, and ac modes of operation. This ensures that Wi-Fi 6 Access Points (APs) and clients are backward compatible with legacy APs and clients.
Q. Will Wi-Fi 6 be allowed in all countries and regulatory domains?
A. All countries and regulatory domains that allow 802.11n and 802.11ac will also allow Wi-Fi 6.
Q. When will Wi-Fi 6 be ratified (when will the standard be finalized)?
A. The IEEE is currently scheduled to ratify the Wi-Fi 6 amendment sometime in the middle of 2020. However, the Wi-Fi Alliance already has launched Wi-Fi 6 certification on September 16, 2019. You can read what it means here.
Q. Are my current mobile/client devices that use Wi-Fi 6 supported? When will mobile devices support Wi-Fi 6?
A. There are a few mobile devices currently on the market that support Wi-Fi 6. Cisco expects that over time, the market will start to see larger numbers of mobile devices supporting Wi-Fi 6 around the second half of 2019 going into 2020. Keep in mind that you need both an access point and clients that support Wi-Fi 6 in order to realize the benefits of this new standard. You can check if your device is Wi-Fi 6 Certified here.
Key enhancements of WI-Fi 6:
MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input, multiple output)
- With 8 x 8 MU-MIMO an AP can send data to up to 8 devices at the same time
- Uplink transmissions from client devices to the AP can be supported (depends on the end device functionality)
OFDMA (Orthogonal frequency division multiple access)
- Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) is a multi-user version of the orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) used by Wi-Fi 5 devices. OFDMA is backward compatible with OFDM.
- It allows to "split" channel into sub-channels (called Resource Units - RUs) to and use them for simultaneous low-data-rate transmissions to several devices at the same time.
Target wake time (TWT)
- Clients can request a specific wake-up time when they are ready to receive data thereby conserving battery life
- AP can better manage wake-up time for connected clients, thereby reducing contention and increasing airtime efficiency
- With legacy standards, all devices have to wake up at the same time (DTIM)
- Also supported in 2.4 GHz band
Higher Modulation
- WiFI 6 device can use 1024-QAM which increases throughput for emerging, bandwidth-intensive uses by encoding more data in the same amount of spectrum
