Difference Between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6e
If you’re shopping for a new router or just looking to purchase any smart device, you’ve probably seen a few buzzwords about the type of Wi-Fi the devices support. Some may say Wi-Fi 6, while others promise faster speeds with Wi-Fi 6e. Wi-Fi 6 is currently the most popular standard, but Wi-Fi 6e is gaining momentum. Here’s how the two standards differ.
What is Wi-Fi 6?
To get a true understanding of the differences between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6e, we need to first understand what Wi-Fi 6 is. Essentially, it is one of the newest standards released by the Wi-Fi Alliance. It was released in 2019 and provided the staggering increase in internet speed that you could expect from your online devices.
It first appeared on routers as 802.11ax and introduced High Efficiency Wi-Fi, or HEW. HEW allowed more wireless data to be sent over the air, and it was a huge improvement over the old 802.11ac (or Wi-Fi 5) standard. This has expanded access to bandwidth with dual-band support on 2GHz and 5GHz networks, and the proposed speed increase makes streaming 4K video even easier than the old standard. This has also increased the maximum effective range of Wi-Fi routers.
What is Wi-Fi 6e?
So how is Wi-Fi 6e different from Wi-Fi 6? Well, the biggest difference is that Wi-Fi 6e allows you to use the 6GHz network band. This means that Wi-Fi 6e is exceptionally useful in places where there may be a lot of other Wi-Fi network traffic, such as apartment buildings or cities. But the speed and increased reliability of the 6 GHz network is not without its challenges.
Unlike the 2GHz and 5GHz networks, which offer extended range, the 6GHz band has a much more limited range. Sure, it might not be that crowded, but this band usually only allows the network to cover connections in the same or adjacent room. This means you’ll want to use mesh networking or similar networking options to extend your range and take full advantage of it.
Which is better?
Now that Wi-Fi 6e has been around for a few years now, it has seen widespread adoption in prominent smartphones such as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy devices, and Google Pixel devices. Wi-Fi 6e can be a really good option for those who live in crowded areas or who have a mesh network capable of using Wi-Fi 6e signals.
Of course, Wi-Fi 6e devices can provide higher throughput in general, but those higher speeds won’t amount to anything if you don’t have a network designed for it. Plus, Wi-Fi 6 is more than enough for most homes these days, especially since average broadband speeds in US homes are still below 100 Mbps. So, Wi-Fi 6 devices should be more than enough for homes with internet speeds below 1 gigabit.
Costs are also worth considering. While there are some decently priced Wi-Fi 6e mesh options, such as the eero Pro 6e , this system still costs over $500, while others can reach $1,200 or more. Given that the difference in speed isn’t that significant, and using 6GHz bands on Wi-Fi-6e enabled devices won’t always be reliable due to their shorter range, you can usually use a Wi-Fi router that supports Wi-Fi. Fi. -Fi 6 and still comes out on top.
But if you live in a crowded city or already have access to gigabit internet, it might be worth investing in more expensive Wi-Fi 6e devices to get a little more speed and bandwidth. However, it’s important to remember that not all devices support Wi-Fi 6e just yet, and with Wi-Fi 7 already set to debut sometime this year, it’s likely that we’ll see even more progress in the future.