My wifi 6


  1. Posts : 80
    Windows 10 64 bit
       #1

    My wifi 6


    Last year I went for a full fibre wifi 6 installation - generally very pleased, but have an element of speed variation throughout a typical day.
    I still have and use a 802.11 b/g/n/ac wireless adapter - is there any mileage in obtaining a 802.11AX replacement?
    Your views welcomed
    Thanks
    C

    22H2 (os build 19045-3031)
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  2. Posts : 16,966
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #2

    Yes, your current 802.11 b/g/n/ac wireless adapter is limiting your data speeds to 802.11 b/g/n/ac speeds but a 802.11ax [WiFi6] wireless adapter might achieve 802.11ax [WiFi6] speeds.

    Denis
    Last edited by Try3; 31 May 2023 at 02:06.
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  3. Posts : 6,388
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP - Lubuntu
       #3

    I wouldn't change it as 802.11ac speeds are quite close to 802.11ax.
    IEEE 802.11 - Wikipedia

    A high speed connection doesn't mean that you will have a high speed download as most downloads are limited by the source that cause the speed variation throughout a typical day.
    Common misunderstandings about achievable throughput
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  4. Posts : 2,189
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit v22H2
       #4

    If you are close to the router it makes a big difference but farther away not as much.

    I have 1200/35Mbps Internet. Here is a comparison between my two laptops. One has 802.11ac while the other has 802.11ax. Note the tests were made with both laptops within 10 feet of my router.

    Note both connected to the 5GHz band. The speeds would have been much less if they connected to the 2.4GHz band.

    My wifi 6-speedtest.jpg
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  5. Posts : 282
    Windows 10 Pro
       #5

    First, what is your allotted download speed from this fiber ISP? It may already be withen the 802.11ac Spec...



    MisterEd said:
    If you are close to the router it makes a big difference but farther away not as much.


    Exactly. Everyone (or the nerds) rant and wave and tell everyone they should totally use 802.11ac yet forget or don't know about RF signal propagation and how different frequencies act in the environment. This rule of thumb I quoted above also applies to the new 5G cell network. Until damn near every light pole has a 5G capable endpoint AND the backbone infrastructure is in place to handle it, it's MOSTLY all marketing bullshit.
    Edit-

    And holy expensive BS! What is WiFi 6? (802.11ax) | Fastest WiFi Router | TP-Link

    It's like the freaking motherboard or GPU market FFS.


    Instead of 3D printers we need 3D chip makers... HEHE
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  6. Posts : 2,189
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit v22H2
       #6

    F22 Simpilot said:
    First, what is your allotted download speed from this fiber ISP? It may already be withen the 802.11ac Spec...
    You are right. The OP said he had fiber but didn't say how fast. If he only has 300Mbps Internet then 802.11ax would not be any faster than 802.11ac. However, if he has 500Mbps or faster Internet then 802.11ax should be faster than 802.11ac.

    The best thing a person can do is to try each band they have and see what gives the fastest speed. However, sometimes a faster band may be unstable so you might have to drop back to a slower band. For example, you might find 5.0GHz faster but 2.4GHz has more range.

    BTW, my router is 6E. Even though the ISP recommends a single SSID I have split it into separate SSIDs for each of the three bands. I did that because sometime my laptop would auto connect on the 2.4GHz band which is much slower than the 5GHz band. That way I can manually connect to the SSID for the 5GHz band.

    You mentioned the 5G cell network. It has nothing to do with the WiFi 5Ghz band.

    Cell network 5G had three different bands.

    Low band 5G
    • Longer waves give greater range
    • Aren’t affected by obstacles
    • High latency

    Mid Band 5G
    • Mid-length waves bring balance between speed and range
    • Coverage broad area with fast speeds
    • Better latency

    High Band 5G
    • Short waves cover a small area
    • Super fast transmission
    • Can’t penetrate buildings
    • Low latency

    Most people that have a cell provider that supports 5G are probably only using the 5G low band. That means their speeds may only be the same or little faster than their old 4G band.
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  7. Posts : 80
    Windows 10 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Hi all
    Many thanks for your time and interesting responses. My fibre nominal speed is 150 - in view of the modest if any advantages + the high expediture, I will for the moment stay with the present 802.11AC adapter.
    Thanks again, your thoughts and comments much appreciated
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  8. Posts : 282
    Windows 10 Pro
       #8

    MisterEd said:

    You mentioned the 5G cell network. It has nothing to do with the WiFi 5Ghz band.

    Cell network 5G had three different bands.

    Low band 5G
    • Longer waves give greater range
    • Aren’t affected by obstacles
    • High latency

    Mid Band 5G
    • Mid-length waves bring balance between speed and range
    • Coverage broad area with fast speeds
    • Better latency

    High Band 5G
    • Short waves cover a small area
    • Super fast transmission
    • Can’t penetrate buildings
    • Low latency

    Most people that have a cell provider that supports 5G are probably only using the 5G low band. That means their speeds may only be the same or little faster than their old 4G band.
    I'm talking about the SHF frequency band that 5G uses... 5G - Wikipedia

    5G at airports is also messing around with the radar altimeter at airports for landing and taking off planes...
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