WiFi 7 routers and WiFi 6 routers differ in terms of speed, frequency bands, and modulation techniques. Here is a detailed analysis.
Speed #
- WiFi 7: The maximum transmission rate can reach up to 46 Gbps, which is more than four times that of WiFi 6.
- WiFi 6: The maximum transmission rate is 9.6 Gbps.
Frequency Bands #
- WiFi 7: Supports frequency bands from 1 GHz to 7.25 GHz, covering the main frequency bands of WiFi 6 (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz).
- WiFi 6: Primarily supports the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands.
Modulation Technology #
- WiFi 7: Uses 4096-QAM modulation technology, which can carry up to 12 bits of data per transmission.
- WiFi 6: Uses 1024-QAM modulation technology, carrying 10 bits of data per transmission.
MIMO Technology #
- WiFi 7: Supports CMU-MIMO, which can handle 16 data streams simultaneously.
- WiFi 6: Supports MU-MIMO, which supports a maximum of 8 data streams.
Channel Bandwidth #
- WiFi 7: Can reach up to 320 MHz.
- WiFi 6: Can reach up to 160 MHz.
In summary, WiFi 7 has significant improvements over WiFi 6 in terms of speed, frequency bands, modulation technology, MIMO technology, and channel bandwidth. These enhancements make WiFi 7 more suitable for high-demand users and future smart home environments. If your budget allows and you have high requirements for network performance, upgrading to WiFi 7 is an excellent choice.