Networking

5 Questions to Ask About Wi-Fi 6 Before It Arrives

The new standard is designed to boost performance in densely populated areas when both clients and access points play by Wi-Fi 6 rules.

Joel Snyder

Joel Snyder, Ph.D., is a senior IT consultant with 30 years of practice. An internationally recognized expert in the areas of security, messaging and networks, Dr. Snyder is a popular speaker and author and is known for his unbiased and comprehensive tests of security and networking products. His clients include major organizations on six continents.

Federal IT managers interested in Wi-Fi 6 — the next generation of Wi-Fi — should start with high-density locations, such as public hearing rooms, to see the biggest benefits first. Here’s what they need to know:

1. What Is Wi-Fi 6?

Wi-Fi 6 boosts performance in densely populated areas when both clients and access points use Wi-Fi 6 rules. The new standard focuses on environments such as large meeting rooms or temporary locations that need high bandwidth. Wi-Fi 5, now widely deployed, should coexist well with Wi-Fi 6.

2. When Can My Agency Get Acces to Wi-Fi 6?

Although Wi-Fi 6 isn’t yet approved, major vendors have related products. Samsung’s Galaxy S10 cellphone and Apple’s iPhone 11 support it. Laptops with Intel Ice Lake and Comet Lake processors should be firmware-upgradeable.

3. What Kind of Benefits Does Wi-Fi 6 Bring?

Older devices should work fine on Wi-Fi 6 networks, but without new clients, there’s little advantage. The biggest jump will be in high-density spaces; these features require clients and APs to be Wi-Fi 6. As long as you have old hardware on the airwaves, you’ll see limited or no benefits.

4. What Solutions Support Wi-Fi 6?

A full Wi-Fi 6 deployment means updating network infrastructure, APs and clients, so take a gradual upgrade path. Make sure anything added to a network can support Wi-Fi 6, then find ways to allow faster AP-to-network speeds later.

5. Does Wi-Fi 6 Work with 5G?

Wi-Fi 6, with higher speed and density, extends the usefulness of Wi-Fi as a faster and cheaper alternative to cellular data, even the superhigh speeds proposed for 5G networks. Users will get a better experience with properly engineered and deployed Wi-Fi 6 than 5G. But the two are complementary, with Wi-Fi ideal indoors and 5G outdoors.

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