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Intel to Introduce Wi-Fi 7 in 2024 as Apple Plans Imminent Move to Wi-Fi 6E
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10Gb is pretty much only enterprise-level stuff still, but there are some affordable 2.5Gb options now - I'm using a TP-Link TL-SG108-M2 8-port 2.5Gb switch for my internal network. Even though only a couple of my devices have 10Gb ports, with everything on my network going at once there is a noticeable speed improvement with that extra overhead. Make sure your cables are up to spec, too, I got all new Cat7 for the extra shielding and future-proofing.
Some of you saying that WiFi 6E/7 won't make a difference must not live in an apartment. Gaining access to the new 6Ghz spectrum is a game changer, as 2.4 and 5Ghz are overcrowded in most dense environments.
Really?
To me this post encapsulated BOTH companies.
- Intel constantly talking about what they WILL ship (while ignoring the reality of what they are shipping [or not shipping] today.
- Apple not saying a damn thing until what they ship is at least mostly bug free, working as expected, without crazy power consumption, etc etc.
Sure, if your metric is promises, Intel always comes out ahead.
But if your metric is reality, well...
Apple's wifi 6E situation is probably worse right now than it will be going forward because of all the Apple Silicon churn. There is presumably some plan in place (the details of which we know nothing about...) to move iPhone to Apple Silicon RF (some combination of cellular and wifi and BT) and it's conceivable that major design of the RF systems are pending waiting on how that plays out.
Remember that 6E (like mmwave) is a new frequency requiring new antenna support, it's not just slip in a new chip. And Apple may feel that they can get away with avoiding a temporary version of that work (once for Broadcom, then again for Apple Silicon) because there just aren't that many 6E base stations out there yet, so most customers will not complain too much?
Beyond that, each new Broadcom chip they support going forward is another security burden they have to support for a few years. Once again, something to avoid if possible.
https://www.tomsguide.com/news/intel-killer-wifi-chip-patches (6E, 2022)
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/02/26/wifi-vulnerability-broadcom-apple-devices/ (2020)
Dont think for a second ASUS hasn’t thrown out some real trash last few years. No manufacturers are immune to bad firmware and hardware.
Until your comment I didn't realize the new Apple Silicon MacBook Pros have gone back to a 2x2 radio. That's really disappointing to hear. Sucks that we're going backwards in performance.
It's incredibly frustrating it's taking them so long to integrate WiFi 6E too. Apple has kind of stagnated in the wireless space ever since the Airports were discontinued. Far cry from the company that introduced the iBook as one of the first mainstream wireless laptops and 802.11n across the lineup before it was finalized.
As far as I know all wifi6 chips are 2x2 radios. I’ve never heard of a 4x4 wifi6 device.
Literally just bought another Airport Extreme (last gen) this past week, $30 shipped on eBay. I have 3 of the latest APE's running a 802.11ac 5Ghz network just for the devices that can use them, everything else gets 801.11N. Older APE runs as the gigabit switch in the basement. All 3 AppleTVs and Mac Mini are all hardwired.
Easily get 3-400Mbps across all devices, wifi and ethernet. Doubt I'll need more until the kids are all locked in their rooms streaming all day.
I'm hardwired 10GBe at work at a 125 person company and get 500Mbps, hard to imagine I'd need more than that.
Easily get 3-400Mbps across all devices, wifi and ethernet. Doubt I'll need more until the kids are all locked in their rooms streaming all day.
I'm hardwired 10GBe at work at a 125 person company and get 500Mbps, hard to imagine I'd need more than that.
They all supported mesh before.
The Extreme's were base stations, and could be mesh extenders, as well as could the non extremes.
You could even hardware them for a wired backhaul, they were fantastic... but petered out at AC. And the NAT firewall topped out at routing packages around 200mbps which became their downfall as fiber rolled out.
The ISPs will now have to build out fiber networks so that Internet connections can keep pace with the speed and stability of local networks.
Intel is planning to install its next-generation Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) technology in devices by 2024, ETNews reports.
Wi-Fi 7 is the successor to Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), bringing two times faster data processing speeds of 5.8 Gbps and more stable 6 GHz bandwidth stability, as well as support for up to 36 Gbps when working with data. Intel plans to expand its Wi-Fi 7 development efforts ahead of its introduction to the market in 2024 and intends to apply its technology predominantly in laptops before expanding to other devices.
"We are currently developing Intel's Wi-Fi '802.11be' in order to obtain the 'Wi-Fi Alliance' certification, and it will be installed in PC products such as laptops by 2024. We expect it to appear in major markets in 2025," Eric McLaughlin, vice president of Intel's wireless solutions division, said at a recent press conference in Asia.
"Wi-Fi 7 almost doubles the frequency bandwidth of 802.11ax (170 MHz) to 320 MHz and doubles the speed of Wi-Fi. Since there is more than a year left before the release of 802.11be, there is still a chance that we could improve the processing speed even further," he added.
Meanwhile, Apple is on the cusp of transitioning its devices to Wi-Fi 6E. While it was heavily rumored to debut with the iPhone 13 lineup last year, Apple has yet to release any devices with support for Wi-Fi 6E. That is expected to change this year starting with the iPhone 14.
Apple's long-rumored mixed-reality headset is also expected to feature Wi-Fi 6E. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that head-mounted display devices in 2022, 2023, and 2024 will offer Wi-Fi 6/6E, Wi-Fi 6E/7, and Wi-Fi 7, respectively, but it is unclear if this information was related to Apple's product roadmap specifically.
Wi-Fi 6E offers the features and capabilities of Wi-Fi 6, including higher performance, lower latency, and faster data rates, extended into the 6 GHz band for processing speeds of 2.4 Gbps. The additional spectrum provides more airspace beyond existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, resulting in increased bandwidth and less interference.
Last year, the FCC adopted rules that make 1,200 MHz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band available for unlicensed use in the United States, paving the way for the introduction of new devices with Wi-Fi 6E support.
Along with Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom, and MediaTek are also preparing to release Wi-Fi 7-based products.
Article Link: Intel to Introduce Wi-Fi 7 in 2024 as Apple Plans Imminent Move to Wi-Fi 6E
This is like putting a bandaid over the problem, you're just going to run into the same situation again.
I actually love the star wars type design Netgear currently uses, have been using RAX200 one since it came out and it's been great. Some of the gaming style routers that end up looking like mechanical spiders though look horrific.
Routers do seem to be getting much bigger and heavier though, when I compare the RAX200 to some of the old routers I've had over the years it makes ones I had just over 10yrs ago look pocket size 😄
A rant? Too funny! No, merely a response to your comment that "Apple is always behind," referencing Apple Silicon as to why that's not true, and, explaining why Apple does not make WiFi routers.
I'm sorry if you're not able to understand that.
Best solution for the modern era is to run all of them in bridge mode and let another router handle the NAT / routing functions.
In this mode I can pull at least 400 mbps (limited by the speed of Comcast) from each of the hardwired APs in my setup.
This setup can also handle an expansive HomeKit setup as well.
At my home, I have an Amplifi Alien, a phenomenal router, but if I didn’t have a weird home setup I would’ve probably still been using my AirPort Extremes..
Oh I don’t doubt that for a second. This is a very good first impression though, being just short of 2 years since purchase. I was very hesitant to switch away from Netgear, especially since Asus isn’t particularly known for their networking equipment, but after having nothing but constant trouble (and an eventual paperweight) with my R7000P (which they somehow still sell - DO NOT BUY!!) I figured it was high time to try anything else.
My one point of criticism, I will say that the settings/administration page isn’t as polished looking or well organized as Netgear’s stuff. But it’s a moot point because I’ve never had to look at it again after initial setup.
Huh, just looked and all the laptops that I know used to do 3x3 no longer do. Seems Intel and Broadcom lack 3x3 or 4x4 802.11ax adapters.
Except now there is even more spectrum to spread out over.
This is a bad argument. It's like saying why bother with 5Ghz back in 2013.
Usually the need for the 6E 6 Ghz band falls to someone that has to have multi-Gbps connectivity for some reason. Most consumer gear doesn't use it yet. Example some of the 8K TVs offered that without 8K streaming being available.
For most the Wifi 6 802.11 AX standard is plenty fast for most connectivity in a house.
It's more important to get a router that supports multiple band switching for different connectivity devices you own and MU-MIMO support for streaming to multiple devices simultaneously. Also pick one where it automatically selects best channels to use in your location RF usage against neighbors. Wifi 6 is perfectly suited for current wifi deployments IMHO as you stated.
Against dense environments it's usually more of the fault of using a cheaper router that doesn't automatically select the best channels to use over multiple bands dynamically IMHO. Yes if you have to manually pick channels through a web interface that won't work well in a dense living environment. Also a routers RF power should be high enough to completely trump your neighbors within an apartment close by, unless it's nuts where you live as far as the number of detected WiFi it has to content with.
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