You probably only notice your router when something goes wrong. Often the first step of internet connectivity problems is to restart the router and to wait until all the little lights are green again.
But to give credit where it’s due, the router plays a critical role in bridging your entire online life to the internet. This small box translates your connection into radio waves and connects all your wireless devices to the web via WiFi.
Like every piece of technology, the router evolves and continues to improve as internet technology advances. The latest version of the router is the WiFi 7 router, and it’s poised to make a significant impact. This iteration of WiFi technology, officially known as IEEE 802.11be, promises faster speeds, improved performance and enhanced user experiences.
Read more: Enhance your WiFi experience with fiber internet
Key features of WiFi 7
The WiFi 7 router clocks in speeds three to five times faster than the previous generation, WiFi 6. With WiFi 7, you could see wireless speeds as fast as 3.5 Gigs — officially “ludicrous speed!” WiFi 7 is so powerful that it could even eliminate the need for WiFi extenders. Here are some factors that make it best in class.
6 GHz for more data transmission
WiFi 7 utilizes the 6 GHz band, opening a wider channel for data transmission. What does this mean? Remember, WiFi works on radio frequencies, and routers have two channel bands: 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz. The higher band provides faster speeds but lower coverage area; the lower band does the opposite — it provides lower speeds but better penetrates walls, offering wider coverage.
A 6 GHz band is a game changer for speed and coverage. Because 6 GHz is a wider band and has less traffic, it’s more open for speed as well as coverage. It can handle more data and has less latency. It improves real-time applications, especially gaming, AR, VR and video calls.
Multi-Link Operation
With Multi-Link Operation (MLO), the WiFi 7 router can allow for multiple band usage, meaning the router could use all the available bands at once for even faster speeds. Provided the end-user device supports it, Multi-Link Operation can utilize the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz band simultaneously.
WPA 3 security
As hackers get more sophisticated and internet safety becomes more critical, WiFi 7 routers come with state-of-the art WPA 3 security. WPA stands for WiFi Protected Access, and it employs a tool called Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) that stops “dictionary” attacks that try to guess passwords to break into networks.
Read more: How fiber improves WiFi
New standard for WiFi speed
As with any new technology, the adoption of WiFi 7 will take time. Not all devices are compatible with WiFi 7 technology yet, so this is something to check before switching. This will likely start to change in 2025, following an adoption curve similar to the release of WiFi 6. This gradual rollout gives consumers time to upgrade their devices and take full advantage of the new standard as it becomes more prevalent.
Once WiFi 7 is somewhat universal, we may see a shift away from WiFi extenders as the wireless speeds go farther and with much more strength.
Future-proof technology
WiFi 7 is more than just an incremental update; it's a major step forward in wireless networking technology. With its improved speed, capacity and efficiency, it promises to deliver better experiences for a wide range of applications, from streaming and gaming to smart home devices and virtual reality applications. As more WiFi 7 routers and compatible devices become available, users can look forward to faster, more reliable wireless connections.
