Is It Time to Get a WiFi 6 Router?

The first time I ever upgraded my entertainment station with a brand-new, high-res TV I also went out and got a highly rated surge protector and even new HDMI cords. I was dead set on making sure everything would work and complement each other.

So, why didn’t I consider upgrading the router my TV would be hooking up to for internet?

Thinking about it, I usually only consider a new router whenever I either move somewhere or get a better internet plan.

Sure, in the past, an older router would probably be fine. But today, devices are released that operate even better with the latest generation of WiFi. Even without upgrading your internet service, with more supported devices becoming widely available in households, upgrading to a WiFi 6 router may enhance your overall internet experience.

What is a WiFi 6 Router?

WiFi 6 is the user-friendly name of the newest wireless standard rolled out in 2019 (by the way, the actual mouthful of a name is IEEE 802.11ax). It was designed to improve wireless capacity and increase efficiency and reduce congestion, especially in heavy bandwidth usage scenarios.

Up to this point, many people may already know about the main improvements from WiFi 5 routers to WiFi 6 routers. WiFi 6 routers employ several new or updated technologies to boost overall performance. For example, MU-MIMO tackles the issue of network congestion, BSS Color and OFDMA are designed for reducing network interference. A typical WiFi 6 router may also use 1024-QAM to provide a signal carried with more data (giving you more efficiency) with a 160 MHz Channel, which is wider for better data transmission.

Should I start looking for a WiFi 6 router?

Yes!

Especially if you’re fond of the latest electronic gadgets or have a strong need for smoother networking.

Though WiFi standards are backward compatible, WiFi 6 still requires new hardware and software to experience the improvements. In particular, the use of features in WiFi 6 including OFDMA, MU-MIMO, and 1024-QAM requires both the router and client device to support the corresponding features. If you have newly released phones or tablets, for example, a WiFi 6 router is needed to make the most of all your devices.

Now that WiFi 6 routers have dropped in price from their first release two years ago. You can expect them to be the mainstream routers for the foreseeable future.