Wireless AP: What Are the Differences Between Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7? How Should Enterprises Choose?
With the release of the latest networking equipment, we now see support for Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7. This marks a major upgrade in wireless technology. Let’s break down the key differences among the three generations:
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax):
Operates on the traditional 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. It adopts OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) technology to divide channels into multiple Resource Units (RUs), enabling simultaneous multi-device transmissions. However, available bandwidth is limited, and achieving a continuous 160MHz channel in real-world deployments is difficult. Spectrum congestion remains a significant challenge.
Wi-Fi 6E:
The core breakthrough lies in the addition of the 6GHz frequency band (5925–7125MHz), providing 1200MHz of continuous spectrum resources. This enables the creation of seven interference-free 160MHz ultra-wide channels. Tests have shown that transmission rates in the 6GHz band are about 70% faster compared to 5GHz, while latency drops to the 5ms range. This makes Wi-Fi 6E particularly suitable for bandwidth-intensive applications such as 4K/8K video streaming and VR.
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be):
Building on the 6GHz band, Wi-Fi 7 introduces Multi-Link Operation (MLO), allowing aggregation of both 5GHz and 6GHz frequency resources. It supports ultra-wide 320MHz channels (subject to regulatory approval), with theoretical single-link speeds reaching up to 30Gbps. In real-world testing, a 50GB 4K movie can be downloaded in just 8 seconds over a 320MHz channel—an 80% time reduction compared to Wi-Fi 6.
| Technical Indicator | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Theoretical Maximum Rate | 9.6Gbps | 9.6Gbps | 46Gbps |
| Modulation Method | 1024-QAM | 1024-QAM | 4K-QAM |
| Channel Bandwidth | 160MHz | 160MHz | 320MHz |
| Multi-device Concurrent Transmission | 8 devices (OFDMA) | 8 devices (OFDMA) | 384 devices (MLO + Enhanced OFDMA) |
| Latency (Measured) | 30ms | 15ms | <5ms |
| Key New Features | BSS Coloring, TWT | 6GHz band | MLO, Simplified Encryption |
Addendum: Development history of WIFI
Here we can review the development history of WIFI: wifi 1~wifi 7
| Wi-Fi Standard | Protocol Name | Release Year | Frequency Band | Maximum Bandwidth | Single Stream Rate | Maximum Data Rate | Max Spatial Streams |
| Wi-Fi 1 | 802.11b | 1999 | 2.4 GHz | 20 MHz | 11 Mbps | 11 Mbps | 1 |
| Wi-Fi 2 | 802.11a | 1999 | 5 GHz | 20 MHz | 54 Mbps | 54 Mbps | 1 |
| Wi-Fi 3 | 802.11g | 2003 | 2.4 GHz | 20 MHz | 54 Mbps | 54 Mbps | 1 |
| Wi-Fi 4 | 802.11n | 2009 | 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz | 40 MHz | 150 Mbps | 600 Mbps | 4 |
| Wi-Fi 5 | 802.11ac | 2013 / 2016 | 5 GHz | 80 MHz / 160 MHz | 433 Mbps / 867 Mbps | 3.5 Gbps / 6.9 Gbps | 8 |
| Wi-Fi 6 | 802.11ax | 2019 | 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz | 160 MHz | 1200 Mbps | 9.6 Gbps | 8 |
| Wi-Fi 7 | 802.11be | 2024 | 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz / 6 GHz | 320 MHz | 1200 Mbps | 46.1 Gbps | 16 |
2、 What are the brands of Wi Fi 6 and Wi Fi 7 wireless APs?
There are many manufacturers of wireless APs, and with the development of technology, their devices are also being updated. Here are some popular WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 wireless AP manufacturers on the market. (Ranked in no particular order)
| Rank | Company |
| 1 | Huawei |
| 2 | Ruijie Networks |
| 3 | H3C |
| 4 | TP-Link |
| 5 | ZTE |
| 6 | Cisco |
| 7 | UBNT (Ubiquiti) |
| 8 | iKuai |
| 9 | ShuiXing |
| 10 | TP-Link |
Wireless AP: What Are the Differences Between Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7? How Should Enterprises Choose?
With the release of the latest networking equipment, we now see support for Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7. This marks a major upgrade in wireless technology. Let’s break down the key differences among the three generations:
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax):
Operates on the traditional 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. It adopts OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) technology to divide channels into multiple Resource Units (RUs), enabling simultaneous multi-device transmissions. However, available bandwidth is limited, and achieving a continuous 160MHz channel in real-world deployments is difficult. Spectrum congestion remains a significant challenge.
Wi-Fi 6E:
The core breakthrough lies in the addition of the 6GHz frequency band (5925–7125MHz), providing 1200MHz of continuous spectrum resources. This enables the creation of seven interference-free 160MHz ultra-wide channels. Tests have shown that transmission rates in the 6GHz band are about 70% faster compared to 5GHz, while latency drops to the 5ms range. This makes Wi-Fi 6E particularly suitable for bandwidth-intensive applications such as 4K/8K video streaming and VR.
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be):
Building on the 6GHz band, Wi-Fi 7 introduces Multi-Link Operation (MLO), allowing aggregation of both 5GHz and 6GHz frequency resources. It supports ultra-wide 320MHz channels (subject to regulatory approval), with theoretical single-link speeds reaching up to 30Gbps. In real-world testing, a 50GB 4K movie can be downloaded in just 8 seconds over a 320MHz channel—an 80% time reduction compared to Wi-Fi 6.
| Technical Indicator | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Theoretical Maximum Rate | 9.6Gbps | 9.6Gbps | 46Gbps |
| Modulation Method | 1024-QAM | 1024-QAM | 4K-QAM |
| Channel Bandwidth | 160MHz | 160MHz | 320MHz |
| Multi-device Concurrent Transmission | 8 devices (OFDMA) | 8 devices (OFDMA) | 384 devices (MLO + Enhanced OFDMA) |
| Latency (Measured) | 30ms | 15ms | <5ms |
| Key New Features | BSS Coloring, TWT | 6GHz band | MLO, Simplified Encryption |
Addendum: Development history of WIFI
Here we can review the development history of WIFI: wifi 1~wifi 7
| Wi-Fi Standard | Protocol Name | Release Year | Frequency Band | Maximum Bandwidth | Single Stream Rate | Maximum Data Rate | Max Spatial Streams |
| Wi-Fi 1 | 802.11b | 1999 | 2.4 GHz | 20 MHz | 11 Mbps | 11 Mbps | 1 |
| Wi-Fi 2 | 802.11a | 1999 | 5 GHz | 20 MHz | 54 Mbps | 54 Mbps | 1 |
| Wi-Fi 3 | 802.11g | 2003 | 2.4 GHz | 20 MHz | 54 Mbps | 54 Mbps | 1 |
| Wi-Fi 4 | 802.11n | 2009 | 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz | 40 MHz | 150 Mbps | 600 Mbps | 4 |
| Wi-Fi 5 | 802.11ac | 2013 / 2016 | 5 GHz | 80 MHz / 160 MHz | 433 Mbps / 867 Mbps | 3.5 Gbps / 6.9 Gbps | 8 |
| Wi-Fi 6 | 802.11ax | 2019 | 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz | 160 MHz | 1200 Mbps | 9.6 Gbps | 8 |
| Wi-Fi 7 | 802.11be | 2024 | 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz / 6 GHz | 320 MHz | 1200 Mbps | 46.1 Gbps | 16 |
2、 What are the brands of Wi Fi 6 and Wi Fi 7 wireless APs?
There are many manufacturers of wireless APs, and with the development of technology, their devices are also being updated. Here are some popular WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 wireless AP manufacturers on the market. (Ranked in no particular order)
| Rank | Company |
| 1 | Huawei |
| 2 | Ruijie Networks |
| 3 | H3C |
| 4 | TP-Link |
| 5 | ZTE |
| 6 | Cisco |
| 7 | UBNT (Ubiquiti) |
| 8 | iKuai |
| 9 | ShuiXing |
| 10 | TP-Link |
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