What Is Wi-Fi 6? An Overview
Have you heard about Wi-Fi 6, also known as ‘AX’, or 802.11ax? It’s the next Wi-Fi standard, and it is in the process of rolling out now. While there are several exciting benefits to this new standard, the headline is that Wi-Fi 6 enables rapid continuing growth in the number of devices connecting to networks.
Wi-Fi 6 is not so much about boosting the connection speed of an individual device, but rather, being able to accommodate a large number of devices connecting simultaneously. As increasing number of mobile devices are introduced in facilities, and particularly as IOT devices begin to proliferate, there will be a massive demand placed upon networks. Wi-Fi 6 is designed to make this possible.
This is less of a one-time speed increase and more of a future-facing upgrade designed to make sure our speeds don’t grind to a halt a few years down the road.
Source: The Verge – Wi-fi 6: is it really that much faster?
If you are only connecting a few devices to your network, Wi-Fi 6 will not provide much benefit. However, as the number of devices continues to expand (perhaps exponentially as IOT grows), the network performance will be improved dramatically.
9 Potential Benefits of Wi-Fi 6 For the Warehouse
As discussed in the recommended article “Ask the expert: Will Wi-fi 6 really give me enough coverage long-term for all my connected devices and IOT applications?,” there are 9 potential benefits to Wi-Fi 6. Some of these factors may be more or less relevant to you, depending on your use case and the dynamics of your environment:
- Higher data rates
- Better resource allocation
- Improved uplink performance
- Lower latency
- Better 2.4 GHz support
- Improved cell density
- Improved power management – the ‘target wake time’ feature enables connection times to be pre-scheduled with devices requiring only intermittent connection.
- Improved range for low-rate devices
- Improved security – WPA3 is required, not optional as on current routers.
Timing For Wi-Fi 6 Rollout In The Warehouse
You can buy Wi-Fi 6 routers today, although selection is still limited. Your ability to take full advantage of the new standard is limited however by the limited availability of mobile devices which support Wi-Fi 6. However, this will change rapidly in the months ahead, as new ‘Wi-Fi 6-ready’ devices begin to enter the market. Now is a great time to learn more about the technology, and analyze the potential benefits to your organization. If you are in the process of upgrading your Wi-Fi network, it is worth considering making the jump to Wi-Fi 6 capability so that you are ready when new devices become available.
One point which is good to know is that Wi-Fi technology allows ‘mixed infrastructure’, which allows you to upgrade your devices incrementally. So you might consider starting to purchase Wi-Fi 6 devices as older ones die.
Learn More About Upgrading Your Warehouse To Wi-Fi 6
Would you like to explore upgrading your warehouse to Wi-Fi 6? Or would you like to learn about rugged mobile computers capable of supporting this new standard? Contact CSSI today to speak with our experts.