*By Allan Aparecido and Ildo Avelar
Much is said about the potential of Wi-Fi 6 in the market, but what is this technology anyway? In practice, Wi-Fi 6 is the name we give to the standard 802.11ax connection, which allows us to connect multiple devices in a smarter and more agile way than we are used to. Basically, this new version brings more performance and speed, following the unattainable objective of having, in wireless connections, the same speed obtained with wired connections – this search has enabled an impressive evolution of technology.
Compared to previous versions, Wi-Fi 6 has evolved the most. This is because the last versions dealt with evolutions of the same technological base, with the creation of more channels or the installation of more antennas. With Wi-Fi 6, we are talking about transferring more information at the same time and with more speed. All this will bring us advantages such as:
- Transfer speeds that can reach 10 to 12 gigabits per second, for exchanging information on nearby devices. This represents an increase between 30% and 40% compared to Wi-Fi 5 performance;
- Many devices can interfere with the transmission of data by radio waves, something very common where there are a high number of devices working simultaneously and interfering with each other. In the Wi-Fi 6 standard, routers will come with a signature called BSS Color, helping to reduce this interference;
- Greater number of devices connected without loss of speed, meeting demands such as IoT (Internet of Things) and Smart Houses and minimizing possible bottlenecks;
- Wi-Fi 6 does not generate the need to consume more energy, generating just the opposite: the devices are more economical than previous models;
- The new version supports WPA3 encryption, more modern than the WPA2 that is currently implemented, offering greater support and protection against brute force attacks.
the legacy environment
Despite the aforementioned advantages, Wi-Fi 6 is still in the consolidation phase. We are currently experiencing a transition from legacy technologies, where we are starting to develop applications and devices compatible with Wi-Fi 6, but still with the need to support old versions.
It must be borne in mind that the benefits promised by the new version of technology do not depend solely on its implementation at the end. For information to travel at the speed and performance promised, it will also be necessary to change the WAN and LAN structures. In fact, a complete refresh will be necessary, as the network will receive a greater volume of data and needs to be ready for it.
And if the network changes, the devices also change. The devices we use – laptops, cell phones, etc. – must support this technology. An example: currently, only notebooks equipped with at least the Windows 10 operating system work with Wi-Fi 6. It is necessary to understand that old machines in a new structure will not bring the expected results.
As a result, companies need to plan for technology adoption in phases. Many are already on this path, implementing access points and antennas initially, leaving the endpoints and backbone for another time. It's time to plan and prepare all this infrastructure to ensure that, when the time is right, all the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 can be translated into more efficiency and productivity.
*Allan Aparecido and Ildo Avelar, senior specialists in Enterprise Networking at Logicalis
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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