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What is WiFi 7?

MAKING MULTI-GIGABIT SPEEDS FOR YOUR ENTIRE HOME A REALITY.

Today's multi-gigabit internet plans are quickly outpacing current WiFi technology. WiFi 7, also known as IEEE 802.11be, will represent a revolutionary change. The new standard, dubbed EHT for Extremely High Throughput, will finally make true multi-gigabit WiFi throughout the home a reality with faster speeds, less interference, and better performance for today's many high-bandwidth online activities.

WiFi7 The most powerful WiFi, ever. WiFi7 The most powerful WiFi, ever.

The most powerful WiFi, ever

See the difference between WiFi 7 and earlier generations in the chart below

Read the full article for a detailed comparison between WiFi 6 and WiFi 7.

WiFi 5

WiFi 6

WiFi 6E

WiFi 7

Introduced

Introduced

2013

Introduced

2019

Introduced

2021

Introduced

2024

IEEE Standard

IEEE Standard

802.11ac

IEEE Standard

802.11ax

IEEE Standard

802.11ax

IEEE Standard

802.11be

Max Speed

Max Speed

3.5 Gbps

Max Speed

9.6 Gbps

Max Speed

9.6 Gbps

Max Speed

46 Gbps

Bands

Bands

2.4 GHz, 5 GHz

Bands

2.4 GHz, 5 GHz

Bands

6 GHz

Bands

2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz

Multi-Link Operation

Multi-Link Operation

No

Multi-Link Operation

No

Multi-Link Operation

No

Multi-Link Operation

Yes

Security

Security

WPA 2

Security

WPA 3

Security

WPA 3

Security

WPA 3

Channel size

Channel size

20, 40, 80, 80+80, 160 MHz

Channel size

20, 40, 80, 80+80, 160 MHz

Channel size

20, 40, 80, 80+80, 160 MHz

Channel size

20, 40, 80, 80+80, 160MHz, 320MHz

Modulation

Modulation

256-QAM-OFDMA

Modulation

1024-QAM-OFDMA

Modulation

1024-QAM-OFDMA

Modulation

4096-QAM OFDMA

MIMO

MIMO

4X4 MIMO, DL MU-MIMO

MIMO

8X8 UL/D/ MU-MIMO

MIMO

8X8 UL/D/ MU-MIMO

MIMO

16X16 MU-MIMO

WiFi 7 key features and benefits

WiFi7 Feature 5x Faster Speeds

5x faster speeds

than WiFi 6E

WiFi 7 increases maximum speeds from 9.6Gbps to a stunning 46Gbps, so you can take full advantage of today’s ultra-fast internet plans with gigabit-plus performance on your devices.

WiFi7 Feature 2x Maximum Bandwidth

2x maximum bandwidth

320MHz high-capacity channels

New, ultra-wide bandwidth means double the speed to your devices. WiFi 7 smartphones can get speeds up to 5Gbps. This opens up exciting new possibilities for AR and VR applications. 1.2GHz spectrum in 6GHz band makes 320MHz ultra-wide band possible and also allows for more routers to operate in congested neighborhoods without stepping on each other.

WiFi7 Features 100x Lower Latency

Significantly lower latency

for real-time responsiveness

Latency has a noticeable effect on real-time activities like gaming and video conferencing. WiFi 7 dramatically upgrades current gen experiences and opens the door for immersive next gen AR and VR.

WiFi7 Features 20percent More Data Transmission

20% more data transmission

with 4K QAM modulation

Modulation, simply put, is the process of converting data into WiFi radio waves. A jump from 10-bit to 12-bit data modulation packs in 20% more data at a time for crystal-clear video streaming, Zoom calls and more.

What new innovations come with WiFi 7?

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MULTI-LINK OPERATION


The power of two

WiFi 7 taps both 6GHz and 5GHz WiFi bands at once to avoid network traffic and keep you connected if you move out of range of one band. This feature, called multi-link operation, also enables devices to simultaneously send and receive data across both WiFi bands, increasing throughput.

Preamble Puncturing Preamble Puncturing

PREAMBLE PUNCTURING


Outsmart WiFi interference

Did you know your neighbors' WiFi might be slowing your network down? With previous versions of WiFi, any channels with interference become unavailable. Preamble puncturing allows your WiFi to slice off part of a channel to transmit your data, if the interference isn’t occupying the entire channel, greatly reducing network congestion.

WiFi 7 Product

RS700_Banner
Orbi-WiFi7

Welcome to WiFi 7, perfected

Be the first to know about the all-new Orbi 970 Series. Uncompromising whole-home WiFi, redesigned to bring 10G speeds to your entire property.

Nighthawk WiFi 7

Revolutionary performance starts here

Introducing the Nighthawk RS700S WiFi 7 Router. Unleash speeds up to 19Gbps with the most advanced WiFi ever.


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Why is NETGEAR the leader in WiFi 7?

NETGEAR is the proven leader in WiFi, with over 25 years of experience building the world's best networking devices. When it comes to WiFi 7, our diverse experience across home, business, mesh, and mobile 5G networking gives us a unique and deep understanding of the technologies used. If you're looking for a router or whole home mesh system that can deliver all WiFi 7 has to offer, look no further than NETGEAR.

Why Orbi WiFi 7 Mesh is elite

WiFi7 Why Orbi WiFi 7 Mesh is elite

Impossibly fast, made possible

Orbi’s unique Enhanced Dedicated Backhaul combines patented Quad-Band with WiFi 7 technology to create a superhighway between router and satellites, ensuring better throughput at a wider range and consistent 10 Gig WiFi across your entire property.

Who will benefit the most from WiFi 7?

WiFi 7 advantages for entertainment

WiFi 7 will open new doors for home entertainment technology while vastly improving experiences on the technology available today.

Streamers will enjoy smoother crisper video, with the ability to stream multiple pieces of 4K and 8K content at once throughout the home. With improved bandwidth, speed, and resource allocation, a household can easily stream UHD videos, host Twitch streams, game in VR, work on Zoom calls, and browse the web without issue.

Even more exciting is the next generation of AR and VR content users have in store. WiFi 7 unleashes a world of possibilities to explore new virtual worlds with fully interactive content. With ultra-high speeds and imperceptible levels of latency, users can immerse themselves in these worlds with lifelike responsiveness and new sensory technologies that elevate the experience beyond our wildest imaginations.

Dual-box-right-mr5200

Dual-box-right-mr5200

WiFi 7 advantages for gamers

WiFi 7 will be a massive for gamers, resulting in immediate improvements for how they game today and unlocking a new world of possibilities for how they game tomorrow.

Current-gen gamers will experience a colossal 100x drop in latency, removing the annoying lag issues that hamper the online gaming experience. Games will now download in a fraction of the time and streamed content for cloud-based games will render faster and clearer than ever before.

WiFi 7 will also open up many new possibilities in the realm of AR and VR gaming, allowing users to stream ultra-high-definition content seamlessly with real-time responsiveness.

WiFi 7 advantages for home

WiFi 7 will bring immediate improvements for all connected homes and smart homes, allowing families to more easily work and learn remotely without running into issues from competing traffic.

The rise of remote work and learning has taxed the abilities of current WiFi technology, as data-intensive Zoom calls and video streaming compete for bandwidth. With WiFi 7, you can say goodbye to the days of glitchy and frozen video conferencing streams. WiFi 7 offers more channels and flexible utilization of those channels to deliver a much smoother experience, for more devices at once.

This improved ability to handle many devices at once also opens the door to many new IoT smart home devices. With massively improved abilities to handle high network traffic, smart home devices can become increasingly sophisticated, accomplishing data-intensive tasks like uploading security feeds to the cloud, without bogging down your network speed.

wifi7-advantages-for-home

Dual-box-right-mr5200

WiFi 7 advantages for business

WiFi 7 will unlock many new capabilities for business and also improve upon the fundamental way in which it operates today.

In terms of how WiFi is used today, users will experience noticeable performance improvements on shared office networks thanks to improved speed and bandwidth, as well as new features like multi-link operation and multi-access-point coordination. In simple terms, WiFi 7 will be better at managing multiple users at once and will have improved ability to deliver faster speeds across the full footprint of the office.

In terms of how WiFi is used in the workplace of tomorrow, WiFi 7 will unlock intriguing capabilities for incorporating AR and VR into the workplace, enabling next-gen hardware like goggles or contact lenses with AR-enhanced heads-up displays, robust IoT-enhanced smart office products, and further-improved workplace automation technologies.

WiFi 7 FAQ

Yes, WiFi 7 is fully backward compatible. However, different generations of user devices will reap different levels of benefit. For example, only WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 devices will be able to use the ultra-fast 6GHz WiFi band. Similarly, only the newest WiFi 7 devices will be able to take advantage of advanced features like the 320MHz bandwidth and multi-link output.

With higher speed and lower interference you will see overall improvement in coverage, particularly as applications demanding higher speeds become available. With technological advancements such as multi-link output you will see improvement in WiFi performance and seamless roaming across mesh networks and over coverage areas of any size. In simple terms, users can easily customize their WiFi 7 coverage area by using a mesh router and satellites to expand range, as needed.

WiFi 7 will be about 5X faster vs. WiFi 6E and WiFi 6. Top theoretical speeds will improve from 9.6Gbps to 46Gbps. However actual speeds will be dependent on the number of streams supported, speed from the internet service provider, data plan, networking hardware, and network traffic.

It depends. Your current router and modem may be holding back your performance, particularly if you are on an older version of WiFi. WiFi 7 products likely won’t be available until November 2023, so if you are unsatisfied with your WiFi performance, there is still time to enjoy an upgrade to the current WiFi standard. Check out the following links to learn more about the WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E .

If you currently have a WiFi 5 router, you will get immediate benefits from a WiFi 6E router. With current internet service provider speeds and many high-quality hardware options available, there is still a substantial amount of time available to enjoy the benefits of WiFi 6E before you can truly experience all the benefits WiFi 7 has to offer. However, only WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 routers can provide ultra-fast 6GHz band WiFi for the latest phones and computers. WiFi 7 routers and Mesh Systems will future proof your home and devices with next-level WiFi capabilities.

WiFi 7 will offer significant improvements to speed and bandwidth, along with a host of underlying technological improvements designed to make your WiFi work smarter and more efficiently. These benefits are outlined in the article above.

The first WiFi 7 products are expected to become available as early as mid 2023, with wider market adoption expected to take hold in late 2024 and beyond.

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