What are 802.11ax and Wi-Fi 6?

December 27, 2019

What are 802.11ax and Wi-Fi 6?

There’s been a lot of buzz around the newest Wi-Fi standard dubbed 802.11ax. What is it and how does it compare to previous generations of Wi-Fi? Let’s discuss.

What is 802.11ax?

802.11ax is the newest Wi-Fi standard, officially rolling out in the second half of 2019. The successor to 802.11ac and 802.11n before that, the new standard promises faster speeds, better range, and lower latency as well as a host of other technical improvements. In short, it’s the newest, fastest Wi-Fi.

How fast is it?

Anyone who’s ever connected to a Wi-Fi network knows there are a ton of variables which determine overall speed like number other connections to the network and channel. It’s safe to say though, that no matter the scenario, 802.11ax is FAST, like 4x times faster current 802.11ac speeds. That’s around 3.5Gbps. In laboratory settings, 802.11ax has even produced speeds of 10Gbps+. Though not something we’d expect in real world scenarios, that’s still pretty stunning. And maybe the best part, since 802.11ax is designed to operate on all ISM bands, it will have more available channels, meaning 802.11ax will thrive in dense environments like stadium, airports, and apartment buildings, so no more choked networks in those crowded places.

802.11ax vs Wi-Fi 6

These are two different names for the same thing, so you’ll likely see them used interchangeably. The Wi-Fi Alliance – the non-profit organization who owns the trademark and regulates all things Wi-Fi – simply deemed this too big a leap to market the new standard exclusively under the old naming convention. So you may see some devices pushing Wi-Fi 6 and others 802.11ax but just know there’s no difference.

When will devices be available?

Wifi 6 is readily available in most new mobile devices, including all laptops in our line.

Choose your gaming or workstation laptop today.

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Josh Covington

Josh has been with Velocity Micro since 2007 in various Marketing, PR, and Sales related roles. As the Director of Sales & Marketing, he is responsible for all Direct and Retail sales as well as Marketing activities. He enjoys Seinfeld reruns, the Atlanta Braves, and Beatles songs written by John, Paul, or George. Sorry, Ringo.

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