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Wi-Fi Generations

Decode Wi-Fi 5, 6, 6E and 7, and know when an upgrade really helps.

Wi-Fi by the numbers

Wi-Fi keeps improving. Every few years a new generation arrives, a new version of Wi-Fi with new features.

Engineers give each generation a code name like "802.11ax". Those are hard to remember. So the Wi-Fi Alliance, the group that tests and certifies Wi-Fi gear, gave them simple numbers.

• Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) arrived around 2014. It uses the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Many homes still have it.
• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) handles busy homes better. It shares the air more cleverly when many devices are online. It also helps phones save battery.
• Wi-Fi 6E is Wi-Fi 6 with the new 6 GHz band added. The "E" stands for extended.
• Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) is the newest, certified in 2024. It is faster again. It can also use more than one band at the same time, which is called Multi-Link Operation.

Look for these names on the box, on the router's label or in its app.

Every generation works with the older ones. A Wi-Fi 5 laptop can join a Wi-Fi 7 router. It just connects at Wi-Fi 5 speeds.

That means both ends matter. To get Wi-Fi 7 speeds, you need a Wi-Fi 7 router and a Wi-Fi 7 device. On a Windows PC, Wi-Fi 7 also needs Windows 11, version 24H2 or later.

Your device's settings or its maker's website can tell you which generation it has.

When an upgrade helps

A shiny new router is tempting when the internet feels slow. Sometimes it is the right fix. Often it is not.

Remember there are two parts. Your internet plan is the speed your internet company sells you, coming into the house. Your Wi-Fi carries that speed from the router to your devices.

Wi-Fi can't make your plan faster. Mbps, or megabits per second, is a measure of speed. If you pay for 100 Mbps, even a Wi-Fi 7 router gets you about 100 Mbps. The extra speed only helps moving files between devices at home.

A new router often helps when:

• Your router is old, such as Wi-Fi 4 or early Wi-Fi 5, and your plan is fast.
• Lots of devices are online at once, and things slow down in the evening.
• Your router's maker has stopped sending security updates for it.

It probably won't help when:

• A wired speed test is already slow. Then the limit is your plan or your internet company.
• Your devices are old. They stay at their own generation's speed.
• The real problem is distance. One router, however new, still struggles to reach a far room. The next module covers that.

Before you buy, run a speed test next to the router. If it matches what you pay for, your Wi-Fi is doing its job.