The Wi - Fi Alliance , which sets the certification process for industry - standard Wi - Fi train , created a young branding system a few twelvemonth ago for all the generations of Wi - Fi that had ever come out . antecedently , Wi - Fi was typically identified by the IEEE engineering touchstone mathematical group ’s obscure working radical numbers , like 802.11n or 802.11ac . To make it simple to mix in and match gear mechanism and know what generation you were using , the Alliance labeled products Wi - Fi 4 , 5 , and 6 . ( The early 802.11 standards were so out of date that they did n’t get numbered but are , by inference , 1 , 2 , and 3 . )
Wi - Fi 4 , 5 , and 6 represent generations of standard , each quicker and more able of traverse areas of homes and offices with the eminent speeds . The most late update concenter on at the same time delivering maximal bandwidth to multiple wandering devices , like iPhones .
All three of these Wi - Fi version could carry off signal across two oftenness band , or range of spectrum , that are allocated to carry uses that do n’t require license , unlike cellular networks . Wi - Fi 4 , 5 , and 6 operated in the 2.4 gigacycle per second ( gigacycle per second ) and 5GHz bands . ( Many countries around the worldly concern volunteer the same or nearly the same storage allocation , although the United States has generally led with the biggest lump opened up . ) As those standard improved , most of the gains were in an ever - larger space reserved by governments in the 5GHz band for worldwide consumer and business use . This now tolerate multi - gigabit - per - second throughput — an incredible gain over the original 11 Mbps in the first Wi - Fi tang .
The simple 4, 5, 6 of Wi-Fi numbering has become more baroque, with 6E.
What is Wi-Fi 6E?
Equipment Almighty require to increase Wi - Fi performance and flexibility , and regulative authorities in several countries ( including the United States ) open up even more frequency for use to add the potential of higher bandwidth and less interference , this time in the 6GHz . ( Wi - Fi 6 and 6GHz have nothing in coarse . )
This led the Wi - Fi Alliance to break their simple numbering outline and added Wi - Fi 6E to differentiate between the “ veritable ” Wi - Fi 6 , which works over 2.4GHz and 5GHz dance band , and the “ new ” 6GHz devices : the E stands awkwardly for “ plus 6GHz . ” I understand the abstract thought , but it ’s surely puzzling .
The round-eyed 4 , 5 , 6 of Wi - Fi numbering has become more baroqueness , with 6E.
The simple 4, 5, 6 of Wi-Fi numbering has become more baroque, with 6E.
Wi - Fi Alliance
What does this all mean, performance-wise?
Apple has either moderate or kept pace with most Wi - Fi generations as they ’ve come along , and that includes Wi - Fi 6E. The a la mode iPhone 15 and 15 Max have Wi - Fi 6 , while the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max have a slight sharpness with Wi - Fi 6E. M - series Apple silicon Macs mostly have Wi - Fi 6 work up - in ; some fresh model have 6E.
If you ’re still using a Wi - Fi 5 internet in your habitation , you likely do n’t ask to upgrade unless :
For those interested in the gory details , the 6GHz band offers a ton of spectrum and communication channel in the United States ; few in the European Union .
For those interested in the gory details, the 6GHz band offers a ton of spectrum and channels in the United States; fewer in the European Union.
you may easy do some loose bridle on net stop number and connection performance usingSpeedtest , which has aboriginal apps for iOS / iPadOS , macOS , and other operating systems . While you ’re always subject to the variation in speed of your net connection , performing throughput trial repeatedly in different locations will help you spot existent problems .
you could also confer with this previous column , “ How to test your Mac ’s internet f number and quality , ” for puppet construct into macOS or that you could put in .
In macOS , there ’s a simple elbow room to reveal current Wi - Fi router link quality and speed : entertain down the Option paint while select the Wi - Fi menu to see some raw port details , notably the “ Tx charge per unit . ” The Tx Rate is the negotiated data point rate between your Mac and the router to which it ’s connected . With a modern Mac and a high - speed Wi - Fi 5 web , you should always see a Tx Rate in the upper 100s of Mbps . test on my Mac mini right now , about 8 feet from a Wi - Fi 6 router , I see a Tx charge per unit of 1,200 Mbps ( 1.2 Gbps ) ; on a Wi - Fi 5 router , you will see 866 Mbps when close to a router .
The Alliance touts lots of improvements with 6E—you’ll experience them best if you have an older, congested network that you can already feel the effects of heavy bandwidth use on.
If you run into any of the criteria above and currently have a mid - price Wi - Fi 5 meshwork setup , upgrading to Wi - Fi 6 or 6E hardware will provide a boost , although you ’ll see it almost solely in pour media between gadget on your meshwork or streaming and downloading files from or to the internet . You might see from 20 to 200 percent faster throughput in the worst - performing areas of your home plate .
In most caseful , your internet connexion and the stop number of servers on the internet will limit your performance more than a modern Wi - Fi 5 connection .
The Alliance touts lots of improvements with 6E — you’ll experience them well if you have an sr. , engorged web that you may already palpate the effects of heavy bandwidth economic consumption on .
This Mac 911 clause is in reply to a question submitted by Macworld reader Jeff .
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