Introducing the Wi-Fi 6 standard (802.11ax) is a great way to improve Wi-Fi. For example, the speed has been improved so that multi-gigabit wireless connections are actually possible, and high-density networks such as stadiums are also supported. However, when deciding when to adopt Wi-Fi 6, careful consideration and planning are required.
Need fast speed
Most Wi-Fi 6 access points (APs) support 2.5Gbps or 5Gbps LAN connectivity to enable multi-gigabit wireless speeds. On the other hand, Wi-Fi 5 APs have almost all 1Gbps interfaces. It is possible to connect the Wi-Fi 6 AP to a general gigabit network, but since the bottleneck appears in the Wi-Fi speed, the client's internal LAN or Internet connection speed cannot support more than 1 Gbps.
Also, you may not need such a fast Wi-Fi connection speed. Even more so if you lightly use Wi-Fi with your smartphone and laptop in the office. However, for networks with high user density, high-power applications such as 4K video streaming, or networks with sensitive applications, Wi-Fi 6 will help. This is especially true if the content source is inside the LAN and not the Internet.
Is your wired network ready?
To get multi-gigabit support, you need to evaluate your current network to see which parts of the wired side need to be upgraded. The subject of the inspection is as follows.
- Switch: Check the maximum data rate supported by all switches located between the AP and the router. If a Wi-Fi client needs to access a network on a LAN, it must follow the path of traffic and check the switch as well.
- Ethernet Power Supply (PoE): When power is supplied to an AP by PoE through a switch or external injector, check the PoE standard and data rate supported by the AP. Most of the Wi-Fi 6 APs must support at least the PoE+ standard (802.3at). Some APs support the older PoE standard (802.3af), but AP performance is likely to be degraded and the maximum data rate is likely to be limited to 1Gbps. If you can use the latest PoE++ standard (802.3bt) on your switch or injector, you may want to introduce the latest standard for the future.
- Cable: To increase the speed of the wired side to more than 1Gbps, it is necessary to connect not only the AP but also the entire connection between the AP and the router with at least a Cat6 cable. If you're looking at Cat6a, Cat7, and Cat7a together for the future, and Cat8 is available, Cat8 is the best alternative. It should be noted that older Cat5e or older cables may require replacing all cables for each Ethernet outlet. You need to carefully consider what Wi-Fi clients will access on the LAN and over the traffic path.
- Router: If a small network that uses switch ports on the router supports only 1Gbps, consider upgrading.
Multi-gigabit support for switches, PoE, and routers have a variety of maximum supported data options such as 2.5Gbps, 5Gbps, and 10Gbps, but Wi-Fi 6 is likely to require only 2.5Gbps or 5Gbps. To prepare for the future of both wired and wireless, 10Gbps should be considered. As for cables, Cat6a, Cat7, and Cat7a all support the same maximum data rate of 10Gbps, but the bandwidth in front is higher as you go back.
Where should the AP be installed?
When deploying Wi-Fi, a site survey should always be conducted prior to AP deployment. Most of what to expect from a LAN survey has already been discussed. Doing wireless or RF surveys can help you figure out where to place APs for best coverage, roaming, and performance. Wi-Fi 6's reach may be similar to that offered by the old standard but differ in terms of density that can affect deployment and configuration settings.
If you don't have experience working with Wi-Fi, look for someone with more experience. Failure to select an AP deployment location can be fatal as the network size increases. There are also methods and tools such as analyzers and heat mapping software to help design Wi-Fi networks. Leaving an expert to do the research can save you time and money, and you won't have to worry about it.
Have you got the Wi-Fi 6 clients you need?
Wi-Fi 6 APs are backward compatible with the old Wi-Fi client standard (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), but you won't be able to enjoy the improved speeds on Wi-Fi 6 unless you use a Wi-Fi 6 client. Currently, there are not many client devices that support Wi-Fi 6. Samsung Galaxy S10 and Apple iPhone 11, some of the latest laptops and desktops.
On most networks, it makes sense to wait for the client device to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6. However, for some devices or special networks that require extremely high output, you can consider upgrading earlier. If you're a desktop computer, you can use PCIe adapter cards, and USB adapters are still hard to find on the market. If you want to upgrade your laptop right away, you'll likely need to purchase an M.2/NGFF Wi-Fi 6 adapter for laptops with Wi-Fi card compatible slots. Products that currently support Wi-Fi 6 can be checked through the Wi-Fi Alliance product finder.
Are the features you want already available?
Like 802.11ac, 802.11ax will be released in stages. Initially, the device will have a maximum of 4 simultaneous spatial streams sent and received and later will increase to 8. Currently, there is only multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) on the downlink from the AP to the client, but support for the uplink from the client to the AP will be added in the future. Immediately, however, the new Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) feature works in both directions, allowing multiple clients with different bandwidth requirements to simultaneously connect to the same AP.
0 Comments