Wi-Fi 6 APPLE SKILLS
macformat.com @macformat APRIL 2020 | MACFORMAT | 55speed increase applies to both 5GHz
and 2.4GHz frequency bands, and while
we associate 2.4GHz with older Wi-Fi, it’s
still an important part of the mix because
it’s less prone to interference than 5GHz.
2.4GHz should get less crowded as devices
that used it become obsolete.
For now, Wi-Fi 6 sticks to those two
frequency bands. Another version of the
standard, Wi-Fi 6E, is coming soon with
support for the 6GHz frequency band.
According to the Wi-Fi Alliance
that’ll add even more capacity,
especially in congested areas.Better battery
Wi-Fi 6 promises to deliver
better battery life when using
Wi-Fi. That’s partly because it
transmits data more quickly,
but it’s mainly because of
Target Wake Time (TWT). With
TWT, the router tells your PC,
iPhone or iPad when it’s safe to
put the Wi-Fi radio to sleep and
when it needs to come back on.
TWT wasn’t really designed
for bigger devices, though. It’s
all about the Internet of Things
(IoT), where lots of low-
powered devices from smart
sensors to smartwatches
connect to the internet but
don’t need to maintain a
constant data connection. TWT
will massively reduce their
energy consumption.
TWT also helps with big
networks, such as the ones youfind in major arenas and transport hubs,
because it enables them to intelligently
co-ordinate signal sharing to deliver better
coverage for more devices. According to Intel,
Wi-Fi 6 will make your speeds at least four
times faster in congested areas where lots of
people are trying to connect at the same time.
It should make your home Wi-Fi better too if,
like us, you’ve got a lot of connected devices
on the same network – provided, that is, that
they’re compatible with Wi-Fi 6.
What’s the difference
between Wi-Fi 6 and 5G?
Price! Because 5G is a mobile
network, you have to buy
it from the phone network
operators: they spend a
lot of money building the
transmitters for their
networks, and they make
that back by charging you
to use them. With Wi-Fi,
anybody can create a
network by plugging a router
into their broadband – so
you don’t need to wait for the
networks to bring coverage
to your particular bit of the
world as you do with mobile
data networks.
The difference between
Wi-Fi 6 and 5G is much the
same as the difference
between Wi-Fi 4/5 and 4G
now: we use the former at
home, at school and at work,
and we use the latter when
we’re out and about.
Carrie MarshallJargon buster
802.11 is the
international standard
for wireless networks,
aka Wi-Fi. The letters
after the ‘11’ tell you
what version of the
standard you’ve got.Genius tip!
If you’re struggling to
get a solid connection
with a 5GHz Wi-Fi
network, try 2.4GHz
instead. It’s better
at penetrating walls
and objects.The short answer is no, not
yet. Unless you have an
incredibly fast fibre-optic
internet connection and a
really rubbish router, the
weak link in your Wi-Fi
probably isn’t the router.
For example, our current
802.11ac/Wi-Fi 5 router is
theoretically capable of
around 1,300Mbps. That’s
more than 10 times fasterthan our fibre-optic
broadband, which tops out
at a theoretical 100Mbps,
and upgrading our router
won’t change that.
Unless you have an
iPhone 11, your devices aren’t
Wi-Fi 6 compatible anyway.
Like previous versions of
Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi 6 is backwards
compatible – but if you
connect a Wi-Fi 4 device toa Wi-Fi 6 router, that
connection will be Wi-Fi 4.
It’s best to think of Wi-Fi 6
as a ‘will have’, not a ‘must
have’: it’s going to roll out in
laptops and tablets, smart
speakers and smartwatches
so you’re going to have it
eventually. But there’s no
pressing need to rush out
and buy the first-generation
hardware that’s available.Do I need Wi-Fi 6? >
Apple started supporting Wi-Fi 6
with the iPhone 11. Expect to see
it in your next Mac too.