5 reasons to upgrade to a Wi-Fi 7 router

It's all possible, because Wi-Fi 7, the latest version, brings faster Wi-Fi, better connectivity, etc. That's why it's time to upgrade to a Wi-Fi 7 router .

1. Faster Wi-Fi

Let's start with Wi-Fi 7's most important upgrade: faster Wi-Fi. When Wi-Fi 7 launched at CES 2024, one of the biggest highlights was the confirmed Wi-Fi speed upgrade, with Wi-Fi 7 offering speeds of up to 46Gbps - 3 times faster. times the 9.6Gbps of Wi-Fi 6.

IEEE standard	Wi-Fi Alliance name	Year of release	Frequency	Maximum data rate
802.11ac	Wi-Fi 5	2014	2.4GHz & 5GHz	1.3Gbps
802.11ax	Wi-Fi 6	2019	2.4GHz & 5GHz	10-12Gbps
802.11ax-2021	Wi-Fi 6E	2021	2.4GHz, 5GHz, & 6GHz	10-12Gbps
801.11be	Wi-Fi 7	2024/2025	2.4GHz, 5GHz, & 6GHz	40Gbps

Of course, 46Gbps is the theoretical maximum under perfect lab conditions. You're unlikely to get anywhere near that speed on your home network. However, upgrading to a Wi-Fi 7 router will give you better use of multi-gigabit fiber cables, ensuring all your wireless devices receive faster Wi-Fi speeds.

2. Better throughput

Wi-Fi 7 introduces two important upgrades designed to improve network throughput and capacity: 320 MHz Wi-Fi channels and 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM).

 Your Wi-Fi router sends signals over the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands (although Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers also broadcast on the new 6GHz band). Within those bands are the Wi-Fi channels through which the router sends data to your device.

Think of Wi-Fi bands as highways and Wi-Fi channels as lanes. The more people using a channel, the more likely it is to become congested. Each Wi-Fi channel has a certain capacity, measured in MHz. The smaller that number, the more likely the channel is to suffer from slow data throughput. Wider channels (more MHz) can process more data faster, meaning Internet speeds will increase.

Quadrature Amplitude Modulation is slightly different but works in parallel. Modulation effectively measures the amount of data sent with each signal. Upgrading Wi-Fi 7 to 4K-QAM from Wi-Fi 6's 1024-QAM will significantly improve network performance and reduce latency, especially in cases where many Wi-Fi devices are connected.

3. Less congestion, supports 6GHz Wi-Fi

We already mentioned 6GHz, which is another reason why you should consider upgrading to a Wi-Fi 7 router.

Do you remember the highways and channels discussed earlier? The 6GHz Wi-Fi band adds another highway to your Wi-Fi setup. Even better, because 6GHz is still so new, it's not as congested by other devices, reducing interference, especially in congested areas with multiple overlapping networks (like an apartment building).

4. Support for Wi-Fi 7 devices

Wi-Fi 7 officially launched at CES 2024, but hardware manufacturers are already shipping Wi-Fi 7-enabled devices in 2023, ready for the big change. Now that Wi-Fi 7 is fully available, upgrading to a Wi-Fi 7 router means you can use it on any compatible device.

 For example, many of the best new smartphones launched at MWC 2024 like the Honor Magic 6 Pro, Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro all support Wi-Fi 7, so why not take advantage of it?

5. Ensure long-term operation in the future

Upgrading to a Wi-Fi 7 router will ensure your Wi-Fi network works long into the future. Every time a new generation of Wi-Fi comes out, this is what you read.

Wi-Fi 8 isn't expected to launch until at least 2028, and even then, it'll take a while for the new Wi-Fi standards to reach smartphones, laptops, and more. and routers, which is why it's a good idea to upgrade to a Wi-Fi 7 router now.