Discover the Best Wi-Fi for Your Smart Home

Is Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6e, or Wi-Fi 7 Right for You?

There was a time when we only used our home Wi-Fi for online shopping, answering emails, and surfing the World Wide Web. Now, our home network manages nearly everything, connecting our smart systems to the home automation hub and each other. Thanks to our home network, the security system sends us alerts, locks the doors, and lets us view live video from anywhere.

As more connected devices enter our lives and everyone jumps on the network, it gets congested. Like the traffic jams during rush hour in New London, CT, the bottleneck leads to slow speeds and frustration. Some other signs of internet overload include buffering and reduced audio and video quality. 

Fortunately, there is a solution. Home Wi-Fi has made several advancements in recent years, allowing our internet experts at C&T Systems to create a reliable and robust home network that reaches every corner of your property. 

Let’s explore the latest standards and how it’s changing the home network game.

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Today’s Wi-Fi 6 Explained

Lately, it seems like we get another Wi-Fi update almost yearly. Wi-Fi 6 was adopted in 2019, followed by the augmentation Wi-Fi 6e in 2020. Then, on January 8, 2024, Wi-Fi 7 was officially released. So, should we all get a Wi-Fi 7 router, mesh systems, and fully compatible devices? That depends on your current Wi-Fi setup.

Wi-Fi 6, the sixth generation of wireless networking standards, was the successor of Wi-Fi 5. It offers significant improvements and is designed to handle the increasing number of connected devices in smart homes. 

It uses OFDMA, a multi-access modulation technique that enables it to support the increasing number of Wi-Fi-hungry devices. It also offers increased video gaming and streaming performance and preserves the battery life of devices operating with Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 6 also supports WPA3, the latest security protocol. 

Then came Wi-Fi 6e, extending the technology to include the 6 GHz band. It offers faster speeds, much more bandwidth, and lower latency—the time it takes to send data from one device to another. Activities that require higher bandwidth, like 4K/8K streaming and VR/AR gaming, benefit immensely.

The Latest Wi-Fi 7

Now, there is Wi-Fi 7. This new standard is about lightning-fast connections—up to four times faster than Wi-Fi 6. It also possesses new technologies that will reduce latency and increase network capacity. Thanks to Multi-Link Operation, it can send and receive data over three bands, shifting based on the traffic. So, when everyone’s on the internet simultaneously, and you have an important video conference, your Wi-Fi 7 router will direct your session to the least crowded band, enabling a clear and reliable connection.

So, is it worth the investment? If you want the best your home network has to offer at the fastest speeds, that answer would be yes. If you’ve recently upgraded to Wi-Fi 6 or 6e, and your internet’s operating smoothly, there’s really no rush. 

If it’s all a bit confusing, C&T Systems is here to help. To learn more about which home Wi-Fi standard is best for your current and future needs or to schedule a complimentary consultation, contact C&T Systems today.