WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 - What's the difference?

With the abundance of networking gear available to us in this day and age, we are introduced to new terms such as WiFi 5 and WiFi 6, which can seem confusing. Don’t worry, we are here to help!

What is WiFi?

WiFi is a facility that allows computers, smartphones and a number of other devices to connect to the internet. WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 are both part of the WiFi family. They are labelled numbers 5 and 6 because they are the fifth and sixth generation of WiFi.

What's the difference?

The main differences between WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 are their speed and efficiency.

With each generation of Wi-Fi, the speed and performance increases. WiFi 6 is also backward compliant, which means it is compatible with standards such as WiFi 5 which came before, and can support all of these features whilst offering improved speeds and efficiency.

However, just because WiFi 6 is newer than WiFi 5, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the right option for you.

Wi-Fi 6 can maintain a steady speed in dense environments. An example of this would be if an access point was used in a shopping centre, where lots of people are connecting to the WiFi at the same time. Wifi 6 can hold a more steady connection than wifi 5, so If you are looking for A WiFi generation that doesn’t require such intense handling capacity, WifI 5 could be an option for you. Additionally, by virtue of being an older standard, most WiFi 5 equipment tends to be at a lower price point that WiFi 6 equipment, making it a great option for budget-conscious buyers.

Another difference to highlight between WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 is their security. WiFi 6 uses the highest standard for networking security; WPA3, whereas WiFi 5 uses WPA2,which is one step down. WPA refers to the WiFi Protected Access security certification used on products to secure wireless computer networks.

Still unsure?

If you’re unsure which Wi-Fi standard is right for you, get in touch with our support team!