Latest developments in WiFi 7 & WiFi 6

WiFi 6 and 7 milestones for 2023 and 2024

1. WiFi 7: WiFi 7 is the next major WiFi standard, and it is expected to be released in 2023. WiFi 7 will offer significant improvements over WiFi 6, including faster speeds, lower latency, and improved capacity.
2. WiFi 6E: WiFi 6E is an extension of the WiFi 6 standard that adds support for the 6 GHz band. The 6 GHz band offers a lot of new spectrum that can be used for WiFi, which will lead to faster speeds and lower latency.
3. Target Wake Time (TWT): TWT is a new feature that helps to improve battery life on WiFi devices. TWT allows devices to sleep for longer periods of time, which can save a lot of battery power.
4. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA): OFDMA is a new technology that allows WiFi access points to communicate with multiple devices at the same time. This can help improve performance in crowded environments.
5. Security Improvements: WiFi security is always improving. New security features are being added to WiFi standards all the time, and there are also new security products and services available to help protect WiFi networks.

These are just a few of the latest developments in WiFi. As WiFi continues to evolve, it will become even more important for our lives. WiFi is already used for everything from streaming video to connecting to the Internet, and it will only become more important in the future.

1. WiFi 7 developments leading into 2024

WiFi 7 is the next major WiFi standard. It is expected to be released in 2023. WiFi 7 will offer significant improvements over WiFi 6, including:

• Faster speeds: WiFi 7 is expected to offer speeds of up to 30 Gbps, which is significantly faster than the speeds offered by WiFi 6.
• Lower latency: WiFi 7 is expected to have lower latency than WiFi 6, which will make it better for applications that require real-time communication, such as video conferencing and online gaming.
• Improved capacity: WiFi 7 is expected to have improved capacity than WiFi 6, which means that more devices can be connected to a WiFi network at the same time.

WiFi 7 will achieve these improvements through a number of new features, including:

160 MHz channels

WiFi 7 will support 160 MHz channels, which are twice as wide as the channels supported by WiFi 6. This will allow WiFi 7 to transmit more data at the same time.

4K QAM

WiFi 7 will support 4K QAM, which is a new modulation technique that allows WiFi to transmit more data per symbol.

Multi-link operation

WiFi 7 will support multi-link operation, which allows devices to communicate with multiple access points at the same time. This will improve performance in crowded environments.   Moving forwards, WiFi 7 is expected to be a major upgrade over WiFi 6. It will offer faster speeds, lower latency, and improved capacity. This will make it well-suited for a variety of applications, including streaming high-definition video, online gaming, and virtual reality.

2. WiFi 6E developments in 2023

What exactly is WiFi 6E?

WiFi 6E is the next generation of WiFi technology. It is an extension of the WiFi 6 standard that adds support for the 6 GHz band. The 6 GHz band is a new frequency band that is available for unlicensed use. This means that anyone can use it, without having to get a licence from the government.

Why is WiFi 6E so important?

WiFi 6E is important because it offers a number of advantages over previous WiFi standards. These advantages include:

• Faster speeds: WiFi 6E can support speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps, which is significantly faster than the speeds offered by WiFi 6.
• Lower latency: WiFi 6E has lower latency than WiFi 6, which makes it better for applications that require real-time communication, such as video conferencing and online gaming.
• More capacity: WiFi 6E has more capacity than WiFi 6, which means that more devices can be connected to a WiFi network at the same time.
• Less interference: The 6 GHz band is a relatively new frequency band, so there is less interference on it than on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. This means that WiFi 6E networks are more likely to be stable and reliable.

When will WiFi 6E be available?

WiFi 6E is expected to be available in 2023. The first WiFi 6E devices are expected to be released in the second half of 2023.

What devices will support WiFi 6E?

The first WiFi 6E devices are expected to be smartphones, laptops, and tablets. WiFi 6E support is also expected to be added to future WiFi routers and mesh systems.

How much will WiFi 6E cost?

The cost of WiFi 6E devices is expected to be similar to the cost of WiFi 6 devices. The cost of WiFi 6E routers and mesh systems is expected to be slightly higher than the cost of WiFi 6 routers and mesh systems.

Is WiFi 6E secure?

WiFi 6E uses the same security features as WiFi 6. This means that WiFi 6E networks are just as secure as WiFi 6 networks.

Is WiFi 6E worth it?

Whether or not WiFi 6E is worth it depends on your needs. If you need the fastest possible speeds and the lowest possible latency, then WiFi 6E is the way to go. However, if you don’t need the absolute fastest speeds, then WiFi 6 may be a better option. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to upgrade to WiFi 6E is up to you.

3. Target Wake Time (TWT) – New feature

Target Wake Time (TWT) is a new feature in WiFi 6 that allows devices to sleep for longer periods of time, which can save a lot of battery power. TWT works by allowing devices to negotiate with their access points about when they need to be awake to send or receive data. This means that devices can sleep for most of the time, and only wake up when they need to send or receive data. TWT is especially useful for devices that use WiFi infrequently, such as smart speakers and thermostats. These devices can save a lot of battery power by sleeping most of the time and only waking up when they need to check in with their access points. TWT can also be used to improve the performance of WiFi networks. By allowing devices to sleep for longer periods of time, TWT can reduce the amount of traffic on the network, which can lead to improved performance for all devices on the network. TWT is a new feature in WiFi 6, but it is expected to become more common in future WiFi standards. As WiFi devices become more power-efficient, TWT will become an increasingly important feature for extending battery life and improving the performance of WiFi networks. Here are some of the benefits of using TWT:

• Improved battery life: TWT can help improve battery life on WiFi devices by allowing them to sleep for longer periods of time. This is especially useful for devices that use WiFi infrequently, such as smart speakers and thermostats.
• Reduced network congestion: TWT can help reduce network congestion by allowing devices to sleep for longer periods of time. This is because there will be fewer devices competing for bandwidth when they are asleep.
• Improved performance: TWT can help improve the performance of WiFi networks by reducing the amount of traffic on the network. This is because there will be fewer devices sending and receiving data when they are asleep.

Overall, TWT is a new feature in WiFi 6 that can offer a number of benefits, including improved battery life, reduced network congestion, and improved performance. As WiFi devices become more power-efficient, TWT is expected to become more common in future WiFi standards.

4. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)

OFDMA is a multi-user version of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM). OFDMA divides the available bandwidth into smaller subcarriers, and then assigns these subcarriers to different users. This allows multiple users to share the same channel simultaneously, without interfering with each other.

OFDMA is a key feature of WiFi 6, and it is one of the reasons why WiFi 6 can offer such high speeds and low latency. OFDMA allows WiFi 6 to efficiently use the available bandwidth, which can lead to significant improvements in performance, especially in crowded environments.

Here are some of the benefits of using OFDMA:

• Improved efficiency: OFDMA can help improve the efficiency of WiFi networks by allowing multiple users to share the same channel simultaneously. This can lead to significant improvements in performance, especially in crowded environments.
• Reduced latency: OFDMA can help reduce latency by allowing multiple users to send and receive data at the same time. This can be important for applications that require real-time communication, such as video conferencing and online gaming.
• Improved capacity: OFDMA can help improve the capacity of WiFi networks by allowing more users to be connected to the network at the same time. This can be important for applications that require a lot of bandwidth, such as streaming high-definition video.

Overall, OFDMA is a key feature of WiFi 6 that can offer a number of benefits, including improved efficiency, reduced latency, and improved capacity. As WiFi networks become more crowded, OFDMA is expected to become increasingly important for maintaining performance and reliability.

Comparison of various WiFi capabilities

Note that these are just estimates, and actual performance may vary depending on the specific device and environment.

5. Latest WiFi security updates in 2023 / 2024:

WPA3

WPA3 is the latest WiFi security standard. WPA3 offers a number of improvements over WPA2, including stronger encryption, improved protection against brute-force attacks, and improved protection against man-in-the-middle attacks. Here are some of the benefits of WPA3:

• Stronger encryption: WPA3 uses the latest encryption standards, which are much more difficult to break than the encryption standards used by WPA2. This makes it much more difficult for attackers to eavesdrop on or intercept data that is being transmitted over a WiFi network.
• Improved protection against brute-force attacks: WPA3 makes it much more difficult for attackers to crack passwords by using brute-force attacks. This is because WPA3 uses a number of new security features, such as password complexity requirements and pre-shared key (PSK) rotation, which make it more difficult for attackers to guess passwords.
• Improved protection against man-in-the-middle attacks: WPA3 makes it much more difficult for attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks. This is because WPA3 uses a number of new security features, such as enhanced data encryption and improved authentication, which make it more difficult for attackers to intercept and modify data that is being transmitted over a WiFi network.
• Improved compatibility: WPA3 is designed to be backward compatible with WPA2 devices. This means that you can use WPA3 on your network even if some of your devices do not support WPA3.

Overall, WPA3 is a significant improvement over WPA2. It offers a number of new security features that make it much more difficult for attackers to eavesdrop on, intercept, or modify data that is being transmitted over a WiFi network.

OWE (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption)

OWE is a new WiFi security feature that makes it easier to set up and use secure WiFi networks. OWE uses pre-shared keys (PSKs) to encrypt traffic, and it does not require users to enter a password or PIN.

13th WiFi Alliance security certification

The WiFi Alliance has released a new security certification for WiFi devices. The 13th WiFi Alliance security certification includes a number of new security features, such as WPA3 and OWE. These are just a few of the latest WiFi security updates in 2023 and coming in 2024. By using these new security features, you can help protect your WiFi network and your data from unauthorised access.

Improve your current WiFi security

While we are talking about network security, here are some additional tips for securing your WiFi network that you can do today!

1. Use a strong password. Your WiFi password should be at least 12 characters long and include a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
2. Change your WiFi password regularly. It is a good idea to change your WiFi password every few months. This will make it more difficult for unauthorised users to guess your password.
3. Turn on wireless encryption. Wireless encryption is a security feature that scrambles data as it is transmitted over a WiFi network. This makes it much more difficult for unauthorised users to intercept and read the data.
4. Use a firewall. A firewall is a security feature that can be used to protect your WiFi network from unauthorised access. A firewall can block unauthorised users from accessing your network, and it can also prevent unauthorised users from sending or receiving data on your network.
5. Use access control. Access control is a security feature that can be used to restrict who can access your WiFi network. Access control can be used to require users to enter a username and password before they can access the network, and it can also be used to restrict access to certain devices or applications.
6. Keep your WiFi router up to date. WiFi routers are often updated with security patches. It is important to keep your WiFi router up to date to ensure that it is protected from the latest security threats.
7. Be careful about what you connect to your WiFi network. Only connect devices that you trust to your WiFi network. If you are not sure whether or not you can trust a device, do not connect it to your WiFi network.
8. Use a VPN. A VPN is a virtual private network that can be used to encrypt your traffic and protect your privacy. If you are concerned about your privacy, you can use a VPN to encrypt your traffic and protect your privacy when you are using public WiFi networks.

By following these tips, you can help secure your WiFi network and protect your data from unauthorised access.