WIFi 6E

[Gar]

Maybe not news, I just can't remember seeing it.

edit link:

https://www.wi-fi.org/news-events/newsroom/wi-fi-alliance-brings-wi-fi-6-into-6-ghz

 

[Peter_M]

Hi, good work

I just read about Wifi 6 - 6e. Any thoughts about it?
https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/wi-fi-alliance-renews-wi-fi-6-with-version-6e-for-6ghz-band.html

 

[RMerlin]

Hi, good work

I just read about Wifi 6 - 6e. Any thoughts about it?
https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/wi-fi-alliance-renews-wi-fi-6-with-version-6e-for-6ghz-band.html

Manufacturers don't even fully support Wifi 6 yet - what makes these clowns believe that Wifi 6e will get any real world support anytime soon (if it ever does)?

Marketing smoke IMHO, nothing more.

 

[thiggins]

I just read about Wifi 6 - 6e. Any thoughts about it?
https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/wi-fi-alliance-renews-wi-fi-6-with-version-6e-for-6ghz-band.html

This announcement is from the Wi-Fi Alliance. It's announcing a branding campaign, similar to when they announced 802.11ax shall be forthwith called Wi-Fi 6.

This is nothing new from the IEEE 802.11ax spec point of view. The abstract of the spec (on page 2) states:

Abstract: This amendment defines modifications to both the IEEE 802.11 physical layer (PHY)
and the medium access control (MAC) sublayer for high efficiency operation in frequency bands
between 1 GHz and 7.125 GHz.​

So AX supports operation in the current 2.4 and 5 GHz bands and whatever 6 GHz bands end up getting allocated for non-licensed use.

Because current Wi-Fi gear doesn't and can't support the 6 GHz band (it requires different hardware, not firmware), the WFA is creating a different marketing term. It's catchier and more succinct than "6 GHz Wi-Fi 6".

The thing the Wi-Fi industry is salivating over is that the new spectrum will make 160 MHz bandwidth available without radar detection gymnastics as well as the 320 MHz bandwidth being proposed for 802.11be Extremely High Throughput standard. I assume this will be dubbed Wi-Fi 7.

After that comes Ludicrously High Throughput...

 

[sfx2000]

After that comes Ludicrously High Throughput...

Only for marketing numbers...

 

[Stevens243]

Maybe not news, I just can't remember seeing it.

edit link:

https://www.wi-fi.org/news-events/newsroom/wi-fi-alliance-brings-wi-fi-6-into-6-ghz

Yep, seeing similar reports today: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/202...about-wi-fi-6-great-lets-talk-about-wi-fi-6e/

Looks like they want to add the 6Mhz spectrum for mesh backhauls, which makes sense in many applications.

 

[pege63]

Yep, seeing similar reports today: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/202...about-wi-fi-6-great-lets-talk-about-wi-fi-6e/

Looks like they want to add the 6Mhz spectrum for mesh backhauls, which makes sense in many applications.

You mean 6 GHz now NOT 6MHz!

 

[Stevens243]

Oops, yep. But, what's 5.9 billion cycles between friends?

 

[Myishmael]

So my brand new RT-AX88U is potentially outdated already. So much for future proofing.

 

[L&LD]

So my brand new RT-AX88U is potentially outdated already. So much for future proofing.

How? Do you have any 6GHz clients already ?

 

[Myishmael]

That wasn't my point. My point was this:

"It's unclear at this time whether existing Wi-Fi 6 hardware will be able to access the new spectrum once approved. In terms of physical design, existing hardware is more than likely OK—the antenna design to transmit and receive 5GHz should also work well at 6GHz. But there are serious questions about both how much is possible in firmware upgrades to existing Wi-Fi devices, and in how willing manufacturers will be to add this capability via free firmware upgrade rather than convincing consumers to buy a new gadget. We don't think vendors would be thrilled to give the capability away for free, so expect most to only implement it in new device designs."

 

[Gar]

I don't think they want to give it away for free, but do they have the guts to call their current AX machines obsolete already? I'll predict firmware updates where possible and revised models for those that can't be updated.

 

[RMerlin]

the antenna design to transmit and receive 5GHz should also work well at 6GHz.

The antennas, yes. The amps and filters, most likely not. And I doubt the wifi chip itself has the necessary hardware support for it either.

Plus, you'd have to put the device through re-certification by regulatory bodies.

So no, I wouldn't expect any of the current products to support it.

 

[Gar]

Being so close to the Wifi 6 release this ought to annoy a lot of people that thought they had just bought the latest technology for awhile.

 

[thiggins]

Being so close to the Wifi 6 release this ought to annoy a lot of people that thought they had just bought the latest technology for awhile.

#1) What RMerlin said.
#2) How many times do I need to say that trying to "future proof" Wi-Fi is a fool's errand?

Don't forget that after you buy Wi-Fi 6E, then you'll get pitched Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 be).

Smarten up! Stop getting sucked into the Wi-Fi upgrade train.

 

[RMerlin]

And Broadcom just announced new SoCs with Wifi 6E support, which confirms you need new hardware for it:

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/c...s-point-solutions-samples-to-customers.61087/

 

[thiggins]

Does anyone really think that the Wi-Fi industry would miss an opportunity suck more money from your wallet?

 

[sfx2000]

Keep in mind that WiFi 6E depends on spectrum that has not been allocated - and it's still 802.11ax in any event, just another band.

 

[Gar]

#1) What RMerlin said.
#2) How many times do I need to say that trying to "future proof" Wi-Fi is a fool's errand?

Don't forget that after you buy Wi-Fi 6E, then you'll get pitched Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 be).

Smarten up! Stop getting sucked into the Wi-Fi upgrade train.

I was hoping for Wi-Fi 6OMG.

 

[gfondeur]

  
Can't stop