7 tips for deploying Wi-Fi 6E
- Less interference: Since Wi-Fi 6E with 6GHz gives you more radio spectrum to operate in, it helps with the interference issue associated with neighboring networks, as well as co-channel interference your own wireless access points (APs). Even if you don’t deploy 6GHz gear to get in that less-crowded band, if a neighbor does, it could mean less interference for you in the lower 2.4 and 5GHz bands.
- More channels: The 6GHz frequency range is also the widest amount of bandwidth offered thus far for Wi-Fi. This means you more easily can utilize wider channel-widths than you could with 5GHz.
- Faster connections: Having more channels and larger channel-widths means higher data rates. Even if you don’t need the fast speeds on the user devices, this can be a great help on networks with a dense number of users. The quicker a user device is served, the more devices an AP can serve in a given time period.
Generally, the higher the frequency you transmit on, the range of the signal decreases. However, we hopefully won’t see much of a range difference when comparing Wi-Fi connections in the 5 and 6 GHz bands. Wi-Fi 6E technology incorporates advanced features such as beamforming and improved signal processing, which can enhance coverage and range.
While Wi-Fi 6E devices are designed to operate in the 6GHz band, they are also backward compatible with existing Wi-Fi standards (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) operating in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. This ensures seamless connectivity and interoperability with older Wi-Fi devices.
The 6GHz frequencies
The 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi in the United States spans from 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz. The Wi-Fi Alliance has a nice map and listing of the countries enabling Wi-Fi in 6 GHz. This is unlicensed spectrum with other non-Wi-Fi uses too:
