WiFi · Networking
Wi-Fi 6
Also known as: 802.11ax, WiFi 6
The current mainstream Wi-Fi standard — introduces OFDMA and improved MU-MIMO for better performance in high-density environments with many simultaneous connected devices.
Wi-Fi 5 was fast for individual devices. Wi-Fi 6 is designed for environments where many devices are connected at once — the office with 80 laptops, phones, and IoT devices all hitting the network simultaneously. The headline speed improvement is real but secondary to the efficiency gains.
Key technologies
OFDMA — instead of giving each transmission the full channel, Wi-Fi 6 splits the channel so it can serve several devices in the same instant rather than making each wait its turn. This is the core efficiency gain.
Better MU-MIMO — the access point can talk to more devices simultaneously, and for the first time can also receive from several at once, not just transmit.
Interference handling — neighboring access points coordinate so overlapping signals cause less mutual slowdown in dense areas.
Target Wake Time — devices schedule when to wake and communicate, letting phones and IoT devices sleep longer and save battery.
WPA3 security — Wi-Fi 6 requires the current WPA3 encryption standard.
Real-world relevance
For a small office with 20 devices, the difference between Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 is barely noticeable. For a dense environment — an open-plan office, a conference center, a school — the efficiency gains are meaningful. If you're replacing APs today, buy Wi-Fi 6 (or 6E). The hardware cost difference is small, and you're not going backwards.