Wi-Fi 6: What Is It and Should You Upgrade?

You have undoubtably seen advertisements for devices that tout Wi-Fi 6. What is it and should you upgrade? 

Wi-Fi 6 is the latest standard currently being implemented by companies offering Consumer and Business networking solutions. Wi-Fi 6 is up to 250% faster than the previous Wi-Fi 5 standard. Additionally, it provides increased range, number of connections, and added security.

Considerations:

With that said, you may be asking if you should upgrade your equipment to support Wi-Fi 6. The answer is: MAYBE.  

If you are running equipment older than 5 years, upgrading would make sense. If you have purchased new equipment in the last two or three years, you likely have no pressing need to make the move to Wi-Fi 6. Why do I say that you ask? Unless you are running an iPhone 11 or 12 or one of a handful of recent devices that support Wi-Fi 6, there is no sense in shelling out the dollars to upgrade a device you will not be able to take total advantage of. 

Another consideration is the speed of your internet connection. If you subscription is less than 300 MBPS, you will not be able to take real advantage of of the increased data speeds while surfing the internet.

Last Month, c|net published an article on the top wifi6 devices. It’s an interesting read for two reasons. One, it discusses the devices available supporting Wi-Fi 6. Secondly, in my opinion, it really highlights how many devices/companies are not compatible with Wi-Fi 6.

Should You Upgrade to Wi-Fi 6?

With all of this said, the choice is purely yours. If you like to live on the bleeding edge, by all means, take the plunge and upgrade. All of your existing devices will continue to work as Wi-Fi 6 routers and access points support previous Wi-Fi standards. If your equipment is relatively new and you are happy with your connectivity, I would say: if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it!

If you have questions about if Wi-Fi 6 is right for you, give me a call and I would be happy to help you decide.