How Fast Is Wi-Fi 6?

This guide provides a practical overview of How Fast Is Wi-Fi 6, including its main features, benefits, limitations, and important considerations.

In the world of wireless networking, after using these numbers and symbols for years (802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac), suddenly we have a very simple and neat notation. neat: Wi-Fi 6. Yes, the new generation of wireless networking is still part of the IEEE 802.11 compliant Ethernet protocol, and is known as 802.11ax but has a more user-friendly name thanks to one of the benefits. it brings. That's why it fits not only in the latest router model, but also on computers. It's time to put the technology to the test and see what kind of performance you expect.

The devices tested include:

2-in-1 Dell XPS 13 laptop with Wi-Fi 6 support, equipped with Killer AX1650s adapter
Lenovo Thinkpad T450 laptop with Intel Dual-Band Wireless AC8260 adapter
3 Wi-Fi 6 routers: Asus RT-AX88U, Netgear RAX120, TP-Link Archer AX6000
1 802.11ac router: Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300

How fast is 802.11ax?

The routers were tested at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, in the same room, with a distance of 9m.

Testing the 2.4GHz band

As shown in the diagram, all three Wi-Fi 6 routers proved to be significantly faster when combined with Wi-Fi 6 - the AX side is Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 with AC side on the Thinkpad 802.11ac side.

Asus RT-AX88U is 58% faster when tested with 802.11ax; Netgear Nighthawk RAX120 is 40% faster and TP-Link Archer AX6000 is 35% faster. The old Asus GT-AC3500 router was the slowest of all four when connected to Dell laptops, but it improved 32% when combined with the Thinkpad.

2.4GHz band at close range

The performance of Wi-Fi 6 over long distances (9m) with the 2.4GHz frequency also improves.

Asus RT-AX88U is up 44% when paired with a representative of 802.11ax and scored by points when combined with the 802.11ac side. Similarly, Netgear RAX120 is 21% faster and TP-Link Archer AX6000 is 45% faster when combined with Wi-Fi 6. Again, Asus routers perform better when paired with 802.11ac than with Wi-Fi 6.

2.4GHz band at a distance

Testing the 5GHz band

When paired with Dell's XPS (802.11ax), there are three Wi-Fi 6 routers that deliver faster results when the band reaches approximately 5GHz. When combined with Lenovo Thinkpad (802.11ac), the results were not as satisfactory.

As can be seen from the data sheet, Asus RT-AX88U is 71% faster when combined with Wi-Fi 6, Netgear RAX120 is 60% faster. The TP-Link Archer AX600 excelled back into the race with a 91% increase. In contrast, the Asus RT-AC5300 router produced almost no results.

5GHz band at close range

Using the 5GHz band at a distance of 9m, all three Wi-Fi 6 routers have resulted in faster on the XPS 13 2-in-1, but the performance is still unclear.

The Asus RT-AX88U is only 3% faster when tested with 802.11ax, while the TP-Link is 12% faster. Netgear showed excellence at 44%. Once again, the Asus Rapture RT-AC5300 combines more powerfully with older products, up slightly at 1.5%.

5GHz band at a distance

summary

Unsurprisingly, traffic testing indicates that, in most cases, Wi-Fi 6 offers significantly higher performance than its predecessor, especially at close distances. However, you can only use compatible devices to take advantage of this fast transfer rate.

It must be said again that Wi-Fi 6 is still new, as router and PC manufacturers upgrade their processors and drivers, with higher transmission speeds and more stable performance than is visible.