Wireless AC and AX why is AX faster?
Wireless networks have come a long way since the early days of Wi-Fi. The latest Wi-Fi standards, 802.11ac and 802.11ax, offer faster speeds, more reliable connections, and better performance in crowded environments. In this blog post, we’ll focus on the differences between 802.11ac and 802.11ax, and why 802.11ax is so much faster.
802.11ac, also known as Wi-Fi 5, is the previous generation Wi-Fi standard. It offers speeds of up to 1.3 Gbps and operates on the 5 GHz band. This makes it ideal for streaming high-definition video and playing online games. 802.11ac also uses a technology called MU-MIMO (Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output), which allows multiple devices to communicate with the Wi-Fi router at the same time. This reduces network congestion and improves performance.
802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6, is the latest Wi-Fi standard. It offers speeds of up to 10 Gbps and operates on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. This makes it ideal for homes and businesses with multiple devices that require high-speed connections. 802.11ax uses several new technologies that make it faster and more reliable than 802.11ac.
One of the main technologies used in 802.11ax is OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access). OFDMA allows multiple devices to communicate with the router at the same time, similar to MU-MIMO. However, OFDMA divides each Wi-Fi channel into multiple sub-channels, allowing devices to communicate more efficiently. This means that more devices can be connected to the network without sacrificing performance.
Another technology used in 802.11ax is 1024-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation). This technology allows the router to transmit more data per second, making it faster than 802.11ac. 1024-QAM uses more bits to encode the data, resulting in higher data rates.
Finally, 802.11ax also uses a new technology called Target Wake Time (TWT). TWT allows devices to “sleep” when they’re not actively using the network. This reduces power consumption and extends the battery life of devices such as smartphones and tablets.
In conclusion, 802.11ax is faster than 802.11ac because it uses several new technologies that improve performance and reliability. OFDMA allows more devices to connect to the network without sacrificing performance, 1024-QAM allows for faster data rates, and TWT reduces power consumption. As more and more devices become connected to the internet, the need for faster and more reliable Wi-Fi will continue to grow. 802.11ax is a major step forward in meeting these needs, and it’s quickly becoming the standard for Wi-Fi connectivity.
Dave is a 20-year computer tech, systems administrator, and Geek.
We computer help and IT support for residential and business users. We offer on site services for the Greater Toronto Area and Remote Support for the rest of Canada. CLICK HERE for residential computer help and Business IT support pricing and information.
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About The Author
Dave
Dave is a 20-year computer tech, systems administrator, and Geek. We computer help and IT support for residential and business users. We offer on site services for the Greater Toronto Area and Remote Support for the rest of Canada. CLICK HERE for residential computer help and Business IT support pricing and information. Does your business software do EVERYTHING?! Mine does, but then again - I use Zoho ;)