Do You Know Key difference between Wi-Fi 6 vs. Wi-Fi 6E?

Wi-Fi 6E is rightly garnering all forms of interest and excitement right away, but like all wireless standard advancements, be mindful of the inevitable hype.

First and foremost, from the attitude of feature sets and frequence (RF) capabilities written into the IEEE standard, Wi-Fi 6E remains 802.11ax -- and rather like Wi-Fi 6 (no E).

Where Wi-Fi 6E gets exciting -- and maybe a touch overblown -- is in its new frequency availability. for many years now, Wi-Fi has operated within the unlicensed 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific and medical band and within the 5 GHz unlicensed national information infrastructure (UNII) bands. Both slices of spectrum are feeling the pinch of Wi-Fi's ever-increasing popularity. this can be why many folks say Wi-Fi 6E will play a big role in changing the Wi-Fi paradigm.


Wi-Fi 6 vs. Wi-Fi 6E: Higher frequency, more room to control
In the 2.4 GHz band, Wi-Fi within the us has well under 100 MHz during which to work, and it only allows three noninterfering 20 MHz channels. 5 GHz permits the potential for 25 channels, again at 20 MHz wide.

But this is often also where the Wi-Fi Alliance and marketing departments get a touch loopy: In 5 GHz, the wireless standards allow those channels to be bonded to make wider channels at 40, 80 or 160 MHz, which theoretically ends up in the upper throughputs promised in 802.11n and 802.11ac.

Those wider channels require conditions that typically cannot be achieved within the universe unless you're talking about small, isolated networks.
There is no gift, however. Those wider channels require conditions that sometimes cannot be achieved within the globe unless you're talking about small, isolated networks. Alas, such is that the state of Wi-Fi: many mixed messages about huge numbers that cannot be achieved in most cases.

With Wi-Fi 6E, we gain a whopping 1,200 MHz of recent spectrum, spanning 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz, within the UNII-5, -6, -7 and -8 bands. This translates to 59 new channels at 20 MHz wide and presents a powerful potential for various wider channels.

Unlike previous standards, a minimum of a number of those wide channels are reliably achievable by Wi-Fi 6E client devices engineered to support the ability and radio requirements of these bonded channels -- PCs, as an example. it's doubtful that several mobile clients will ever get beyond 40 MHz channels thanks to resource constraints. Nonetheless, that capacity boost are one among the most marketing drumbeats of Wi-Fi 6 vs. Wi-Fi 6E.


Cleaner air, with caveats

Remember, Wi-Fi 6 and 6E share all the identical features as written within the 802.11ax standard. We've learned that the 6 GHz spectrum, where 6E operates, is impressively generous in size. This space is additionally largely freed from the interference found down within the 5 GHz and a couple of.4 GHz unlicensed bands.

It's important to understand, though, that, as you go higher in frequency, the range at the identical power decreases, as does the technology's ability to penetrate walls and other obstacles. this implies wireless LAN (WLAN) designers must consider the differences between 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz when networks are created or refreshed; otherwise, holes in coverage are likely to exist.

Wi-Fi 6E faces another complication once you take it outside. The 6 GHz space is peppered with incumbent users, including licensed point-to-point microwave links and mobile TV broadcast uplinks. this suggests Wi-Fi 6E access points would require frequency control mechanisms which will prevent them from stepping on local licensees where they're authorized to control.