Should you think about purchasing the Wi-Fi 7 router after giving it a try?
Since its introduction, Wi-Fi 7 has promised incredibly fast speeds, reduced latency, and more reliable connections. But is it really worth switching now or is it better to wait? To answer that question, I tested a high-end router at home and here’s my experience. If you’re thinking about upgrading your network, read on because this might interest you.
If you’ve heard about Wi-Fi 7 lately and are wondering if it’s really worth the jump, you’re not alone. With every new generation of wireless comes the promise of faster speeds, lower latency, and better coverage, but will you really notice the difference in your daily life? I’ve tested a high-end router at home, and here’s what’s good, bad, and what really matters so you can make the best decision without spending extra money.
- What are the benefits of Wi-Fi 7?
Wi-Fi 7 is an evolution of previous standards and brings significant improvements in speed, capacity, and efficiency. Here are its key features:
- Much faster speeds: This new standard allows for speeds of up to 46 GB/s, far exceeding the speeds of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. This translates to instant downloads and lag-free 8K streaming.
- Lower latency and greater stability: Wi-Fi 7 dramatically reduces latency, which is essential for online gaming, video calls, and any real-time activity.
- Ability to accommodate more connected devices: If you have many devices connected at the same time in your home, this new standard manages traffic better and avoids performance degradation.
- Better energy efficiency: power consumption is improved, which benefits mobile devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops.
- Is it worth changing now or is it better to wait?
After testing the Wi-Fi 7 router at home, here are my conclusions about whether it's worth taking the leap now:
If you have a high-speed connection, upgrading to WiFi 7 will allow you to get the most out of your internet plan. If your connection is slower, you won’t notice much of a difference unless you’re transferring a lot of large files on your home LAN. Additionally, one thing to keep in mind is that your devices will also need to support the new wireless standard, specifically the new 6GHz band, to get the best possible performance.
If you have multiple connected devices, the improvement in traffic management will be noticeable and will prevent speed drops or interruptions. This is ideal for home automation devices, where in our home we can have dozens of devices connected at the same time, and stability in this scenario is essential.
If you are a gamer or working with cloud content, low latency and stability are a plus. Thanks to new technologies such as Multi-RU and Puncturing, we will have lower latency in the wireless connection. Moreover, with OFDMA and MU-MIMO protocols, we will also improve this aspect in terms of latency.
If your current router is working fine, you may want to wait a little longer as Wi-Fi 7 router prices drop and more compatible devices become available on the market. Additionally, if you decide to go with a Wi-Fi 7 router, keep in mind that there are models that only use the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands; they don’t have the new 6GHz band, which is where you’ll really notice the difference.
Wi-Fi 7 is a big improvement, but it’s still in its early stages of adoption. If you have a resource-intensive network, it might be a good investment. If not, waiting a few months might be the best option to get the most out of its benefits without spending a lot of money. It’s very important to buy a router with simultaneous tri-band to get the most out of this new standard.