Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 7 Compared

Wi-Fi 4 arrived in 2009, Wi-Fi 5 in 2014, Wi-Fi 6 in 2018 and Wi-Fi 7 in 2024 — each generation changed bands, channel width or modulation.

Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) operates on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz with channels up to 40 MHz. It introduced MIMO to home networks and remains the fallback for many low-demand devices such as smart plugs and older printers.

Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) works only in the 5 GHz band and supports 80 MHz channels with optional 160 MHz. It cannot serve 2.4 GHz-only clients at all, which is why dual-band routers kept a separate Wi-Fi 4 radio for legacy gear.

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) brought OFDMA, multi-user MIMO, 160 MHz channels and Target Wake Time for battery devices. These features matter most in homes with many simultaneous clients — phones, laptops, TVs and IoT — because they let the router serve several devices in the same time slot.

Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 add the 6 GHz band, expanding usable spectrum from 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz. That clean band is the main reason to upgrade in dense apartment buildings where 2.4 and 5 GHz are congested.

Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) offers 320 MHz channels in the 6 GHz band, twice the width of Wi-Fi 6, plus 4K QAM for about 20% higher transmission rates than 1024 QAM. Both gains require Wi-Fi 7 clients on both ends of the link.

For a typical home, Wi-Fi 6 is the safe default. Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 is justified when the internet plan exceeds 1 Gbps, the 6 GHz band is clean, and the main devices support the newer standard.

• Wi-Fi 4: 2.4 and 5 GHz, up to 40 MHz, MIMO.
• Wi-Fi 5: 5 GHz only, 80 MHz, optional 160 MHz.
• Wi-Fi 6: 2.4 and 5 GHz, 160 MHz, OFDMA, MU-MIMO, Target Wake Time.
• Wi-Fi 6E: adds 6 GHz from 5.925 to 7.125 GHz.
• Wi-Fi 7: 320 MHz in 6 GHz, 4K QAM, up to 20% higher rate.

Further reading

• Setting Up the Network
• The Five Common Failures