What Is Wi-Fi 6? An Overview
Have you heard about Wi-Fi 6 and Wi Fi 6e, 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 IOT devices connecting to each network access point.
Wi-Fi 6 is not so much about boosting the connection speed of an individual device, but rather, being able to accommodate a multiple 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.
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 Wi Fi 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 and faster speed
- Better resource allocation
- Improved uplink performance
- Lower latency
- Better 2.4 GHz support
- Improved cell density and network efficiency
- 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 a Wi Fi 6 router today, although selection is still limited. Your ability to take full advantage of this new wireless network standard is limited however by the limited availability of WiFi 6 devices. However, this will change rapidly in the months ahead, as new ‘Wi-Fi 6-ready’ devices begin to enter the market and WiFi router options improve. Now is a great time to learn more about this new WiFi 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 6e 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 / 6E, or have questions about Wi Fi technology in general? Or would you like to learn about rugged mobile computers capable of supporting this new standard? Contact CSSI today to speak with our WiFi device experts.