Users may have to upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 to use Wi-Fi 7

 The company also announced some details about printer support and application performance running on Windows 11 24H2 with Arm processor-based systems, as well as sharing a blog post detailing the details. about game improvements and optimizations.

In addition, Microsoft has also updated the support article about the upcoming Wi-Fi 7 feature with Windows 11 24H2. Much like previous generations of Wi-Fi, Microsoft has published standard guidance on how to ensure Wi-Fi 7 is usable on users' PCs.

Accordingly, the document officially confirmed that Wi-Fi 7 will be available on Windows environments starting from Windows 11 24H2 version and currently, it is unclear whether older versions of Windows 11 or Windows 10 will support it. support this technology. We already know Windows 10 does not support the 6GHz band, but previous versions of Windows 11 may not have any such limitations.

Microsoft says in support documents:

To take advantage of increased performance and security coverage, here's what you need:

1. The router supports Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6/6E and/or WPA3 . To find out if your router supports this feature, check the accompanying documentation or visit the router manufacturer's website. If you're considering buying a new router, look for the Wi-Fi 7 label to ensure support.
2. Windows 11 is installed on your PC . To check and make sure you have the latest updates for Windows 11, click Start , then select Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates .
   Note : Wi-Fi 7 is available starting with Windows 11, version 24H2.
3. The wireless network adapter supports Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6/6E and/or WPA3 . To see if your PC supports this feature, check the included documentation or visit the PC manufacturer's website.
   Tip : You can also check what your network adapter supports by opening Command Prompt (or Terminal), then entering the netsh wlan show driver command . Look next to Radio types supported and see if 802.11be (for Wi-Fi 7) or 802.11ax (for Wi-Fi 6/6e) is included , then see if Authentication and cipher supported in infrastructure mode is included. includes WPA3 Personal and WPA3 Enterprise .

Besides, Microsoft also briefly shared about the new features that Wi-Fi 7 brings. These include Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which allows devices to use multiple frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and/or 6 GHz) simultaneously. In the 6 GHz band, Wi-Fi 7 promises to deliver an impressive 320 MHz wide channel, known as ultra-wideband, effectively doubling device speeds and supporting high-bandwidth applications like AR/ VR.

Lesley Montoya

Update 23 June 2024