WiFi 5 or WiFi 6? understand the differences
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When a new standard starts to be implemented by companies that are part of our daily lives, there is a certain doubt about how the new features can be useful in everyday life. O Wi-Fi 6 was launched internationally in 2020 and arrives to deliver greater speed, greater device connection without the need for bandwidth division and of course, greater range.
Understand all the differences between the standards and why you should stop using a router that supports Wi-Fi 5 right now.
Faster speed on Wi-Fi 6
Of course, your internet plan will directly influence browsing speed and other activities, but having an updated router can also influence this. Models compatible with Wi-Fi 5 manage to reach “only” 3,5 Gbps and at the level of comparison, routers with support for the Wi-Fi 6 reach 14 Gbps.
In practice, the most updated standard offers four times more speeds than the previous generation. Experts warn that in day-to-day use, the transmission will be around 11 Gb/s, in the dual-band frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. This speed makes a lot of difference in communication between devices on the same network.
O HUAWEI WiFi AX2, router updated to Wi-Fi 6, can deliver wireless transmission rate of up to 1500 Mbps. You HUAWEI Wi-Fi Mesh 3 e HUAWEI Wi-Fi AX3 Quad-core, which support Wi-Fi 6 Plus (standard HUAWEI), already deliver wireless connection of up to 3000 Mbps.
More connected devices
Personal assistants, notebooks, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, air conditioners and even refrigerators. The more devices connected to a router, the greater the work to distribute the internet between them, which can result in a slower connection for everyone connected. O Wi-Fi 6 supports twice as many devices connected at the same time, which allows:
- Greater simultaneous communication between the router and the devices;
- Sending data to the same devices in the same transmission;
- Wi-Fi devices schedule check-ins with routers.
A router Wi-Fi 5 manages to operate “bottleneck free” with up to 4 devices connected at the same time and the Wi-Fi 6 it supports much more than that. It is very important to remember that this does not mean the delivery of greater speed, but rather that it will no longer be necessary to divide the bandwidth between the devices connected to the router with Wi-Fi 6. We can say that people will be able to do all their activities in a lower latency, since Wi-Fi 6 brings channels in 160MHz.
The standard Wi-Fi 6 has the resource OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), which manages to reduce latency and still delivers better network connectivity in everyday life. According to HUAWEI, the feature “better manages bandwidth allocation by understanding the usage load based on the demand of each connected device to optimize Wi-Fi, rather than letting devices compete with each other for a limited bandwidth.”
Routers sold under R$500 manage to deliver a good connection with up to 128 devices connected at the same time and more expensive options support 250 devices without loss of quality at the internet point.
Strong signal and coverage area
Many people have the habit of leaving the router in the room, and the signal ends up degrading in further away rooms, reducing the quality of the connection. Devices with support for Wi-Fi 6 manage to deliver a higher transfer rate, which means that you and other people who are not close to the device will not have slowdown problems.
Who chooses a mesh router from HUAWEI still manages to be better used through technology HarmonyOS Mesh+, which creates a mesh between two or more company routers to deliver lower latency when the user transits between connection points. It is an assertive way that you will have access to the best internet point, regardless of where you are.
Increased security and energy savings
A WiFi Alliance, which defines the standards of wireless networks, started to demand that the protocol WPA3 was mandatory rather than optional. This allows 192-bit encryption for data exchange to be implemented and in cases of intrusion into devices such as smartphones, smart TVs and other devices, hackers need to go through several layers of security, even if the access points are passwordless.
Finally, if you are still in doubt whether you should opt for a device with Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6, know that routers with the standard launched in 2020 have the functionality Target Wake Time (TWT)🇧🇷 This is the check that takes place at different times of the day for the router to check if there is any device connected; if not, it is inactive so that energy consumption is lower.
What is WiFi 6E?
The letter E in the initials of this standard stands for Extension and can be explained as an upgrade in the 6GHz band. As we mentioned in our article with the best routers with Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, the access point gains two more lanes for better navigation of several devices at the same time. And it is worth remembering that every router with this standard operates in a tri-band model, that is, not only with the frequencies of 2,4Ghz e 5Ghz (Wi-Fi 5 e Wi-Fi 6), but also with the band of 6Ghz.
More than just delivering a better connection, models of routers with this standard manage to deliver access points with maximum speeds of 600 Mbps through an 80Mhz channel and 1200Mbps through a 160Mhz channel.
Since February 2021, Anatel has approved the technical requirements for the Wi-Fi 6E standard to start working in Brazil and more and more routers are being launched over the months. It is a technology that is still in its infancy in Brazil, but more recent smartphones, computers and notebooks already support it.
In partnership with the City of São Paulo, the Qualcomm made available the first internet point with Wi-Fi 6E outdoor in Latin America. The initiative is part of a test to find out how this connection would work on a daily basis and will be available between December 03, 2022 and January 24, 2023.
Wi-Fi 7
Scheduled for release in 2024 by Wi-Fi Alliance announcement, this is the standard that will bring even more improvements in the day to day of those who use wireless networks. The new version of Wi-Fi will support the same frequencies as Wi-Fi 6: 2,4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz. The main difference is that the last two bands will be used to aggregate a greater amount of data through a single channel, resulting in 320 MHz — the predecessor only reached up to 160 MHz. In countries that do not make 6 GHz available due to restrictions, the technology will have two 5 GHz channels (240 MHz).
Regarding supported speeds, the Wi-Fi 7 has throughput (EHT) extremely high. According to Wi-Fi Alliance announcement, this standard will deliver up to 40 Gbps, which is four times the capacity of Wi-Fi 6E (9,6 Gbps) and six times the performance of Wi-Fi 5 (6,9 Gbps).
Despite having a launch only in 2024, Qualcomm went ahead and announced the first chip supporting Wi-Fi 7 in February 2022, but it is still not known when routers should hit the world market (and much later in Brazil). But pre-certified models should start appearing in mid-2023.
You can check more details about Wi-Fi 7 in our special article, including all about new security features and better browsing.
Recommendations
Check router options with both standards so that you can make the switch paying the best possible price.
Intelbras Action RF 1200
Let's open our list talking about the model of intelbras which meets the Wi-Fi 5 standard and can be purchased for less than R$ 250,00 on the internet. With 4 ports (1 Internet and 3 LAN) the Action RF 1200 is ideal for internet plans of up to 100 mega. Its four antennas manage to deliver a network area of 80m² and up to 20 devices can be connected at the same time without errors or crashes in connection delivery. Another interesting detail is that the Action RF 1200 has:
- Support Beamforming e MU-MIMO: greater performance and stability even with more devices connected to the Wi-Fi network;
- Compatibility with Customize portal: exclusive facility for internet providers;
- IPv6 Support: Your router ready for the latest internet protocol.
The download rate varies between the two bands: when programmed to deliver a 2.4GHz signal, the device delivers a maximum speed of up to 300 Mbps; when configured to deliver a frequency of 5 GHz, the value reaches 867 Mpbs.
O Intelbras Action RF 1200 can be bought by BRL 215,00 at Magazine Luiza.
ASUS RT-AC86U
For those who love online games, this ASUS model is sold in Brazil with dual band and free technology that controls the ping and response time at all times of use. In addition to the three antennas on the outside, the ASUS RT-AC86U which follows the Wi-Fi 6 and has an internal antenna that delivers networks at 5GHz frequency for maximum quad-stream performance, while the rangeboost significantly improves medium to long distance Wi-Fi coverage.
According to the manufacturer, the device can deliver quad-stream speeds (4×4) of 5GHz up to 2167Mbps, but at the same time its limit is 2971 Mbps. ASUS ensures smooth streaming and low-latency online gaming. The range of this model is 167m² and it has six connections: 1x RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for WAN, 4x RJ45 for 10/100/1000/Gigabits, 1x USB 2.0 and 1x USB 3.
Support for iPv4 and iPv6 is confirmed and the model works with 3G and 4G connections. ASUS RT-AC86U can be found by BRL 999,99 in Kabum🇧🇷 The device delivers a good connection for up to 250 devices connected at the same time.
TP Link Deco X20
Who prefers a router option that offers mesh networks for larger spaces, TP-Link's option may be ideal. With support for the Wi-Fi 6 standard, the device offers 1800 Mbps of maximum nominal transfer rate, with 1.201 Mbps in the 5 GHz band and 574 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band.
Installation, as complex as it may seem, can be done as soon as the devices are removed from the box and in addition to being used to configure the access point, the TP-Link app can be used for parental control and general visualization of who is connected to the network. It is an ideal kit for anyone who has a company with a large office or even a house with several rooms.
The manufacturer informs on its official website that the kit can deliver an access point with a range of 520m² and up to 150 devices can be connected at the same time. The kit with 2 units of deco X20 can be found at Magazine Luiza for R$ $ 1.593,07 in cash.
TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750
the router Archer C7 AC1750 da TP-Link is standard compliant 802.11ac and works with two simultaneous bands (2.4GHz at 450Mbps and 5GHz at 1300Mbps), for a total of 1.75Gbps of available bandwidth.
The model has two USB ports, to add printers and external storage units. With it, it is possible to create separate networks for residents of the house and guests, thus ensuring that access to personal computers is blocked for those who do not live in the residence.
With its two antennas, the manufacturer points out that access points in the 2.4GHz frequency can deliver a signal to devices within 20 meters and the signal with a 5GHz frequency can take this up to 42 meters without problems. The maximum limit for use without lags or low speed, due to the model being considered an entry-level product, is 3 to 5.
The Archer C7 AC1750 can be found for R$444,81 at Magazine Luiza.
Google WiFi
Yes, Google has a line of routers that follow the Wi-Fi 5 standard and mesh networks for Brazilians. Sold in Brazil since October 2021, the router with an intimate design can offer a range of up to 110 meters with just one unit. The limit increases to 330 meters with three access points.
The company also recalls that this type of router can handle up to 100 dispositivos and perform various 4K video streams in a simultaneous. So, as promised, there probably won't be many complaints about crashes or difficulty processing some online content.
Google points out on its product page that the maximum speed is 1.200 Mbps. The configuration can be done directly in the application, by reading a QR Code. We have already talked more about the use in practice in our special review, be sure to check it out. A Google Wifi unit can be purchased for BRL 899 at Magazine Luiza🇧🇷 The three-unit kit for creating a mesh network is sold for 1.799,10 BRL.
TP-Link Archer C3200
Finalizing the list of recommendations, this model of TP-Link have technology tri band, that creates three tracks Wi-Fi separated to connect more devices to your network, without performance drop. The overall speed is 3.200 Mbps, being 600Mbps in 2.4GHz and two 1300Mbps bands in 5GHz. Another technology, called SmartConnect, helps devices perform faster by automatically choosing the best 5GHz band for them.
O TP-Link Archer 3200 It has 6 high-performance antennas to maximize coverage and stability. Other features include a 1GHz dual-core CPU and three coprocessors, which allow for seamless simultaneous connections. It is a good option for those who view 4K content and want to get rid of stuttering and delays, in addition to having greater freedom due to the four antennas. The manufacturer points out that it supports “more than 50 devices connected at the same time”, although it does not disclose the correct amount. It is an interesting option for those who need quality internet that is always stable.
TP-Link Archer can be purchased for R$ 999 at Amazon.
Do you understand the main differences between Wi-Fi standards? What's the best for your everyday life? Tell us us Comment!
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