Do i need wifi 6, 6e, or7? (Mesh system)
Discussion
Common Wi-Fi Standards
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n): Released in 2009, this standard was a significant improvement, capable of speeds up to 600 Mbps by using both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac): Introduced in 2013, it operates exclusively on the 5 GHz band and can achieve speeds up to 7 Gbps.
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax): The current high-performance standard, which uses the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, can reach speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps and improves efficiency through technologies like OFDMA.
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): The next generation standard, which is in development and expected to offer even higher speeds and lower latency.
Older Standards: Standards like Wi-Fi 1 (802.11b) and Wi-Fi 3 (802.11g) are considered legacy and are much slower, operating on the 2.4 GHz band at speeds up to 11 Mbps and 54 Mbps respectively.
Wifi 6 will be plenty good enough at the moment. You'll pay a premium for 7, although it will future proof yourself a little longer, but in reality 6 will keep you going for years and years.
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n): Released in 2009, this standard was a significant improvement, capable of speeds up to 600 Mbps by using both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac): Introduced in 2013, it operates exclusively on the 5 GHz band and can achieve speeds up to 7 Gbps.
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax): The current high-performance standard, which uses the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, can reach speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps and improves efficiency through technologies like OFDMA.
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): The next generation standard, which is in development and expected to offer even higher speeds and lower latency.
Older Standards: Standards like Wi-Fi 1 (802.11b) and Wi-Fi 3 (802.11g) are considered legacy and are much slower, operating on the 2.4 GHz band at speeds up to 11 Mbps and 54 Mbps respectively.
Wifi 6 will be plenty good enough at the moment. You'll pay a premium for 7, although it will future proof yourself a little longer, but in reality 6 will keep you going for years and years.
2.4Ghz - Best range, lowest speed
5Ghz - Less range, higher speed
6Ghz (WIFI 6E) - Lowest range, highest speed
Wifi 7 devices may or may not be 'Tri Band'
If you're in a more dense living situation, such as flat / terraced housing / urban area with lots of wifi networks, Prioritise Wifi 6E / Tri Band Wifi 7 as having access to the higher band can reduce contention on the older 2.4 / 5Ghz Bands.
I recently upgraded to a cheap Cudy AP11000 so I could test out Wifi7 / Wifi 6E and have had good results up to 1Gb.
Personally, I'd avoid repeaters wherever at all possible - You only contribute to the network congestion - You're far better off getting an access point somewhere you can get a cable.
5Ghz - Less range, higher speed
6Ghz (WIFI 6E) - Lowest range, highest speed
Wifi 7 devices may or may not be 'Tri Band'
If you're in a more dense living situation, such as flat / terraced housing / urban area with lots of wifi networks, Prioritise Wifi 6E / Tri Band Wifi 7 as having access to the higher band can reduce contention on the older 2.4 / 5Ghz Bands.
I recently upgraded to a cheap Cudy AP11000 so I could test out Wifi7 / Wifi 6E and have had good results up to 1Gb.
Personally, I'd avoid repeaters wherever at all possible - You only contribute to the network congestion - You're far better off getting an access point somewhere you can get a cable.
Worth considering how fast your internet is. I have 900Mbps up and down and just did a speed test over WiFi 6 and got 784Mbps. WiFi 7 can go faster (say if you had 2Gbps internet) but many devices don't fully support WiFi 7, or even support it at all, so will need to drop back to WiFi 6 anyway.
Phooey said:
Brill, thanks for replies. Will probably order that amazon system - I think I need 2 extenders - 5 bed house approx 2000sq/ft but some brick internal walls and current Virgin SuperHub 5 is poor. I think i'm on the 250mbs Virgin package
eta - SuperHub 5 not 3
Just to throw in, take a look at the Unifi LR. Then if you really need a "repeater", I'd use an ethernet over power to create a backhaul for another AP. If you didn't want to go Unifi then choose a mesh that will allow backhaul rather than wireless repeating.eta - SuperHub 5 not 3
Most of the Eero Wifi7 devices (ie. the cheap ones) are not true Wifi7, they are only 5ghz.
If it says dual band its only 2.4ghz and 5ghz.
Tri band will have 2.4/5 and 6ghz radios.
Out of 6 and 6e I would go for 6e if you can. Assuming you have devices that support 6e (not very common on sub-flagship devices)
If it says dual band its only 2.4ghz and 5ghz.
Tri band will have 2.4/5 and 6ghz radios.
Out of 6 and 6e I would go for 6e if you can. Assuming you have devices that support 6e (not very common on sub-flagship devices)
I upgraded an older Google/Nest mesh network to the Eero Pro 6E and I've been very pleased with it so far. I've got 4 units dotted around the house (including the one plugged into the router) and they have worked flawlessly since I installed them. My theory for getting the 6E over the 6 was that it would future proof things somewhat, as they're not that cheap an investment.
Haltamer said:
Personally, I'd avoid repeaters wherever at all possible - You only contribute to the network congestion - You're far better off getting an access point somewhere you can get a cable.
I thought that the whole point of a mesh network was that it created its own thing so that everything wasn't fighting over a single wifi network, but I am pretty clueless when it comes to these things so feel free to explain like I'm 5 why that's not the case I just added a pair of tp link deco x50 (wi fi 6) this weekend to reach the back of a 3 bed room house that had very poor wifi in the back room furthest from the router. works perfectly now with one next to the upstairs and one in the living room downstairs.
i was tempted to go 6E but the added cost put me off.
i was tempted to go 6E but the added cost put me off.
Phooey said:
Brill, thanks for replies. Will probably order that amazon system - I think I need 2 extenders - 5 bed house approx 2000sq/ft but some brick internal walls and current Virgin SuperHub 5 is poor. I think i'm on the 250mbs Virgin package
eta - SuperHub 5 not 3
Have you contacted Virgin and asked them about their wifi pods mesh systems? eta - SuperHub 5 not 3
https://www.virginmedia.com/help/how-to/broadband/...
As has already been said, you're unlikely to be notice anything faster than Wifi 6 unless you're speed testing on a very fast fibre internet connection. And if you are limited to say 500Mbs... do you really need it any faster? Streaming video for example 4K HDR doesn't need more than 30Mbps. So you can manage 10 of those at once, and still have bandwidth left for anything wired in.
By all means future proof it by going for 6e, but don't get sucked into paying a premium for the latest, that a) devices don't support and b) your internet connection can't make use of.
Also, worth remembering a lot of older/cheaper stuff needs 2.4Ghz, so don't back yourself into a corner by ditching it.
By all means future proof it by going for 6e, but don't get sucked into paying a premium for the latest, that a) devices don't support and b) your internet connection can't make use of.
Also, worth remembering a lot of older/cheaper stuff needs 2.4Ghz, so don't back yourself into a corner by ditching it.
megaphone said:
Have you contacted Virgin and asked them about their wifi pods mesh systems?
https://www.virginmedia.com/help/how-to/broadband/...
I tried but got a load of waffle about something or other. It's quite painful trying to get to speak to someone helpful at VM.https://www.virginmedia.com/help/how-to/broadband/...
I have the Eero 6 system coming.. hoping it is easy to add onto a SuperHub 5! I *think* I need to put the hub into modem mode only reading a few of the reviews.
Edited by Phooey on Wednesday 19th November 07:34
Brilliant - thanks. I'm not great with tech but hoping the Eero app is as good / easy to follow as the reviews say. When I had VM installed approx 20yrs ago I made the mistake of having it in the upstairs end bedroom instead of in the centre of the house. I'm hoping the Eero 3 pod system will extend the wifi throughout. I'll probably place one in the opposite end bedroom and one downstairs. I'll maybe need an extra one *if* areas of the downstairs is still poor. Brick internal walls.
phil4 said:
As has already been said, you're unlikely to be notice anything faster than Wifi 6 unless you're speed testing on a very fast fibre internet connection. And if you are limited to say 500Mbs... do you really need it any faster? Streaming video for example 4K HDR doesn't need more than 30Mbps. So you can manage 10 of those at once, and still have bandwidth left for anything wired in.
By all means future proof it by going for 6e, but don't get sucked into paying a premium for the latest, that a) devices don't support and b) your internet connection can't make use of.
Also, worth remembering a lot of older/cheaper stuff needs 2.4Ghz, so don't back yourself into a corner by ditching it.
All of this, and especially the 2.4ghz bit. I have plenty of devices that won't work on anything "higher"By all means future proof it by going for 6e, but don't get sucked into paying a premium for the latest, that a) devices don't support and b) your internet connection can't make use of.
Also, worth remembering a lot of older/cheaper stuff needs 2.4Ghz, so don't back yourself into a corner by ditching it.
One of these might cover the whole building, without the need for additional repeaters/access points. Just put the VM hub into modem mode and run everything via this.
UniFi Dream Router 7
https://uk.store.ui.com/uk/en/category/cloud-gatew...
UniFi Dream Router 7
https://uk.store.ui.com/uk/en/category/cloud-gatew...
gus607 said:
I recently bought a wifi 7 5g router & my download speeds are much faster than my previous wifi 6e router. Coverage around my flat is greatly improved too.
It sound slike your new 5G router has better 5g internals than your old one, assuming that's what you meant and you get your internet from the airwaves (5G) - because, wifi 6e is way faster than 5G mobile broadband can deliver. You'd be lucky (like me) and get around 900Mb from 5G at best, maybe a little more, but wifi 6E can carry 9.6Gbps.I assume you are downloading over wifi via 5g?
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