WiFi 6: Should You Upgrade Your Router?

If you've shopped for a router recently, you've probably noticed a new buzzword: WiFi 6. Also known by its technical name 802.11ax, WiFi 6 is the latest generation of wireless networking technology, promising faster speeds, better performance with many devices, and improved battery life for connected gadgets.

But at $150 to $400 for a WiFi 6 router, the upgrade isn't cheap. Is it worth it right now, or should you wait?

What's Different About WiFi 6?

WiFi 6 isn't just about raw speed, though it does offer improvements there. The bigger advancements are in how the technology handles multiple devices and congested networks. Here's what's new:

Faster Top Speeds

WiFi 6 has a theoretical maximum speed of 9.6 Gbps, compared to WiFi 5's (802.11ac) theoretical maximum of 6.9 Gbps. In practice, no single device will come close to either number — these are aggregate speeds across all connections. But WiFi 6 does deliver meaningfully faster real-world speeds per device, typically 30 to 40 percent faster than WiFi 5 under comparable conditions.

OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access)

This is the most important improvement in WiFi 6. OFDMA allows a router to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously on the same channel, rather than serving them one at a time in rapid sequence. Think of it as converting a single-lane road into a multi-lane highway.

For a home with dozens of connected devices — phones, laptops, tablets, smart TVs, smart speakers, thermostats, security cameras — OFDMA can dramatically reduce the lag that occurs when many devices compete for airtime.

MU-MIMO Improvements

WiFi 5 introduced Multi-User MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output), which allowed the router to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously — but only for downloads. WiFi 6 extends MU-MIMO to both uploads and downloads, and increases the maximum number of simultaneous streams from four to eight.

Target Wake Time (TWT)

TWT lets the router schedule when connected devices wake up to send or receive data. This is mainly beneficial for battery-powered IoT devices like smart sensors, door locks, and wearables. Instead of constantly checking for data, devices can sleep and wake on a schedule, significantly extending battery life.

BSS Coloring

In apartments and dense neighborhoods where dozens of WiFi networks overlap, interference between networks can degrade performance. BSS Coloring allows WiFi 6 routers to tag their transmissions and ignore signals from neighboring networks, reducing interference.

WiFi 6 Routers Available Now

Several WiFi 6 routers have launched in the second half of 2019:

| Router | Price | WiFi 6 Speed Rating | |--------|-------|---------------------| | ASUS RT-AX88U | $350 | AX6000 | | Netgear Nighthawk RAX80 | $400 | AX6000 | | TP-Link Archer AX6000 | $350 | AX6000 | | Netgear Nighthawk RAX40 | $200 | AX3000 | | TP-Link Archer AX50 | $150 | AX3000 |

The AX3000 class routers offer the best value, providing WiFi 6 benefits at a more accessible price point. The AX6000 models are better for large homes and power users who want maximum throughput.

Do Your Devices Support WiFi 6?

Here's the catch: WiFi 6 is only as useful as the devices connecting to it. As of late 2019, WiFi 6 client support is still limited:

Devices with WiFi 6:

• iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro (released September 2019)
• Samsung Galaxy S10/Note 10 (selected models)
• Some Intel 10th-gen laptops with AX200/AX201 wireless cards
• A handful of other flagship phones and laptops

Devices without WiFi 6 (using WiFi 5 or older):

• All iPads (as of November 2019)
• Most laptops sold before mid-2019
• All current smart TVs, streaming devices, and smart home gadgets
• Most Android phones

WiFi 6 routers are backward compatible — they work fine with WiFi 5 and older devices. But those older devices won't benefit from WiFi 6's improvements. They'll connect at their existing WiFi 5 or WiFi 4 speeds.

Should You Upgrade Now?

Upgrade now if:

• Your current router is more than 4 to 5 years old (pre-802.11ac)
• You have 15+ connected devices and experience congestion
• You have a high-speed internet plan (200+ Mbps) and your current router is the bottleneck
• You're buying new phones and laptops that support WiFi 6

Wait if:

• Your current WiFi 5 (802.11ac) router works well
• Most of your devices don't support WiFi 6
• You have a modest internet plan (under 100 Mbps) that your current router handles fine
• You want prices to come down and more options to be available

The honest answer for most people in late 2019: you'll get WiFi 6 naturally when you replace your router in a year or two. By then, prices will be lower, more options will be available, and a critical mass of your devices will support the new standard. Upgrading today is fine if you need a new router anyway, but it's not worth rushing out to replace a working WiFi 5 setup.

The Bigger Picture

WiFi 6 matters more for the future than the present. As the number of connected devices per household continues to grow — from smart speakers and thermostats to security cameras and appliances — the improvements in device handling and efficiency will become increasingly important.

If your broadband speed is under 100 Mbps, your router probably isn't your bottleneck regardless of what WiFi generation it supports. Focus on upgrading your internet plan first, then worry about the router. But if you're on a fast cable or fiber connection and you're seeing WiFi, not WAN, as your limitation — WiFi 6 is a meaningful upgrade path.