What is Wi-Fi 4, 5, 6?
Wi-Fi 4, 5, and 6 refer to different versions of the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless networking.
Each version offers improved wireless performance, faster data transfer rates, and other features that enhance the overall user experience. Wi-Fi 4, also known as 802.11n, was released in 2009 and offers a maximum data transfer rate of 600 Mbps. It introduced MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) technology, which uses multiple antennas to transmit and receive data simultaneously, improving wireless performance and reliability. Wi-Fi 5, also known as 802.11ac, was released in 2013 and offers a maximum data transfer rate of 3.5 Gbps. It uses wider channel bandwidths and supports MU-MIMO (Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) technology, which allows multiple users to connect to the network simultaneously without slowing down the connection. Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802.11ax, was released in 2019 and offers a maximum data transfer rate of 9.6 Gbps. It uses more advanced technologies such as OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) and 1024-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) to improve wireless performance and increase the number of devices that can be connected to the network simultaneously. Each new version of the IEEE 802.11 standard brings significant improvements to wireless networking, making it faster, more reliable, and capable of supporting more devices simultaneously. Wi-Fi 6 is currently the latest and most advanced version of the standard, offering the best performance and features for modern wireless networks.