OUR EXPERT
Neil Mohr doesn’t get let out of the office a lot, so he needs a fast wireless connection, which is what his children keep telling him…
Eighteen months ago, we took a look at the then brand-spanking-new Wi-Fi 7 technology. E Here we are in 2025, and it’s only now becoming available, with Wi-Fi 6(e) still very much available alongside, with mesh systems thrown in just for added confusion.
With Wi-Fi 7 systems costing as much as a £1,000, knowing what you need from a wireless system has become crucial. We’re going to go over the key differences between the standards and then look at how you can get a little more performance out of whatever router you’re running.
First things first, what’s Wi-Fi 7? Well, after we’d had 802.11n, ac and then ax, the IEEE group decided that switching to straight numbers would make things simpler for the public. So, 802.11n is Wi-Fi 4, 802.11ax is Wi-Fi 6, and 802.11be is Wi-Fi 7. What’s Wi-Fi 6e? It’s an industry extension that bridged the gap between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7. Very often, technology that’s waiting for ratification by the IEEE is released early, so it can be marketed and sold. Previously, only the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio ranges were available for Wi-Fi use, but Wi-Fi 7 adds a third band to this at 6GHz. Wi-Fi 6e systems can offer 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz capabilities – what they don’t offer are Wi-Fi 7’s other enhanced features.