WiFi · Networking
Wi-Fi 6
Also known as: 802.11ax, WiFi 6
The current mainstream Wi-Fi standard — introduces OFDMA and improved MU-MIMO for better performance in high-density environments with many simultaneous connected devices.
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) was fast for individual devices. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is designed for environments where many devices are connected simultaneously — the office with 80 laptops, phones, and IoT devices all hitting the network at once. The headline speed improvement is real but secondary to the efficiency gains.
Key technologies
OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) — where Wi-Fi 5 gave each transmission the full channel, OFDMA divides the channel into smaller resource units that can be allocated to different devices simultaneously. The access point can serve multiple devices with small payloads in the same time slot, rather than making each wait its turn.
8x8 MU-MIMO — Wi-Fi 6 extends multi-user MIMO to 8 simultaneous users and adds uplink MU-MIMO, meaning the AP can receive from multiple devices simultaneously, not just transmit to them.
BSS Coloring — reduces interference between neighboring access points by letting each device identify whether a signal is from its own BSS or a neighbor's. Overlapping signals from a neighbor are treated as less disruptive, reducing unnecessary backoff.
Target Wake Time (TWT) — devices negotiate a schedule for when to wake and communicate, allowing IoT devices and phones to sleep longer and conserve battery.
WPA3 required — Wi-Fi 6 certification requires WPA3 security.
Real-world relevance
For a small office with 20 devices, the difference between Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 is barely noticeable. For a dense environment — an open-plan office, a conference center, a school — the efficiency gains are meaningful. If you're replacing APs today, buy Wi-Fi 6 (or 6E). The hardware cost difference is small, and you're not going backwards.