Customers now ask for WiFi 7 by name, often because a new phone or laptop says it supports it. For an installer, WiFi 6 vs WiFi 7 is less about headline speeds and more about what the job needs: 6 GHz spectrum, which clients will use it, and whether the switch, PoE budget and cabling can feed faster access points.
What is the difference between WiFi 6 and WiFi 7?
WiFi 6 made crowded networks more efficient with OFDMA and MU-MIMO, and WiFi 6E added the 6 GHz band. WiFi 7 adds 320 MHz channels in 6 GHz, 4K QAM and multi-link operation, which can use several bands at once. The gains only appear with WiFi 7 clients and a wired side fast enough to carry them.
WiFi 6 vs WiFi 7: what each generation adds
The Wi-Fi Alliance, the body that certifies WiFi equipment, describes both generations by feature rather than by one speed figure. That is the useful way to compare them on site.
- WiFi 6 (802.11ax): OFDMA splits a channel so several clients are served in one transmission, MU-MIMO sends to more devices at once, target wake time saves battery, and 1024 QAM packs more data into the same spectrum. Channels go up to 160 MHz.
- WiFi 6E: the same WiFi 6 features extended into the 6 GHz band.
- WiFi 7 (802.11be): 320 MHz channels in 6 GHz, 4K QAM, multi-link operation, and the ability to assign several resource units to one client.
In the Alliance’s own figures, 320 MHz channels give twice the throughput of WiFi 6, and 4K QAM gives transmission rates 20% higher than 1024 QAM. Neither number is what a customer will measure through a wall, but both show where the extra capacity comes from.
6 GHz WiFi and what the FCC allows
Most of what makes WiFi 7 different depends on 6 GHz. The FCC fact sheet on unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band summarises the 2020 order that opened 1,200 megahertz from 5.925 to 7.125 GHz to unlicensed devices. It sets up two ways to use it:
- Low power indoor: access points may use the whole band at lower power, indoors only, without automated frequency coordination (AFC).
- Standard power: in 5.925 to 6.425 GHz and 6.525 to 6.875 GHz, access points may transmit indoors and outdoors at higher power under the control of an AFC system, which keeps them clear of licensed point to point microwave links.
Client devices may only use 6 GHz under the control of one of those access points. The order also bars low power indoor access points from weather resistant housings, external antennas and battery power. For an installer, that means an outdoor 6 GHz access point needs a standard power model with working AFC, and the customer’s phones will only join 6 GHz when an access point invites them.
Channel widths: 160 MHz vs 320 MHz
Wider channels carry more data but leave fewer channels to reuse across a building. A simple calculation shows the trade, assuming the full 1,200 MHz is available and ignoring guard spacing:
- 1,200 divided by 160 = 7.5, so at most seven 160 MHz channels.
- 1,200 divided by 320 = 3.75, so at most three 320 MHz channels.
With only three 320 MHz channels, neighbouring access points in a multi-unit or office job will overlap quickly. Wide channels suit a single access point in a house or a lightly loaded room; dense sites usually run narrower channels so more access points can share the band. The spacing and channel planning in our access point placement and channel planning guide still apply.
Multi-link operation in plain terms
Before WiFi 7, a client connected on one band at a time and had to move if that band got busy. Multi-link operation (MLO) lets a WiFi 7 client and access point hold links on more than one band together, and the Wi-Fi Alliance says it balances traffic across those links to raise throughput and reliability.
In practice MLO helps most where interference comes and goes: a busy 5 GHz channel no longer stalls a video call if a 6 GHz link is open. It does nothing for an older client, and it does not replace a wired backhaul. A meshed node that relays over the air still pays for every hop, as our comparison of mesh WiFi vs wired access points explains.
Client support decides the payoff
Every newer generation still serves older clients, but each client only uses the features it has. A WiFi 6 laptop on a WiFi 7 access point behaves like a WiFi 6 laptop. A device that is WiFi 6 without the E cannot see 6 GHz at all.
- Ask what the customer owns now and plans to replace in the next few years.
- Check that the phones and laptops list 6 GHz and, for WiFi 7, multi-link operation.
- Treat cameras, printers and smart home devices as 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz clients unless their data sheets say otherwise.
PoE and switch uplinks for WiFi 7 access points
Faster radios move the bottleneck to the cable. Before quoting WiFi 7 access points, check three lines on each data sheet against the switch you plan to use.
- PoE class: the power the access point needs with all radios running. Note whether it lists reduced operation on a lower class. Add every powered device on the switch, as in our PoE budget worked calculation.
- Port speed: many WiFi 7 access points have a multigigabit port. On a 1 Gbps switch port, the access point can never pass more than 1 Gbps to the network, whatever its radios do.
- Uplink: add the port speeds of the access points that share a switch and compare them with the switch uplink to the router or core.
Multigigabit ports usually run over existing Cat5e or Cat6, but confirm the rated length and category for each speed on the switch data sheet. Our guide to Cat5e vs Cat6 cable for network runs covers the cable side.
Which to quote: a side by side comparison
| Feature | WiFi 6 | WiFi 6E | WiFi 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bands | 2.4 and 5 GHz | 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz | 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz |
| Widest channel | 160 MHz | 160 MHz | 320 MHz in 6 GHz |
| Top modulation | 1024 QAM | 1024 QAM | 4K QAM |
| Multi-link operation | No | No | Yes, with WiFi 7 clients |
| Wired side to check | Gigabit port, PoE class | Gigabit or faster port, PoE class | Multigigabit port, higher PoE class, uplink |
A WiFi 6 or 6E access point is still a sound quote where clients are older, the switch is gigabit with limited PoE, or the site needs many narrow channels. WiFi 7 makes sense for new builds, offices refreshing laptops, and customers whose internet service already exceeds what one gigabit port carries.
Where to find WiFi 7 access points and switches
The access point category lists indoor and outdoor access points, and the network switch category lists PoE switches to power them. Both sit in the Broadband and WiFi division. For pricing and availability on a project, ask your sales representative through the Bursma contact page, or open a Bursma dealer account.
Frequently asked questions
Can WiFi 6 devices connect to a WiFi 7 access point?
Yes. Older clients connect using their own generation’s features, so a WiFi 6 device gets WiFi 6 performance. It gains nothing from 320 MHz channels or multi-link operation.
Is WiFi 6E or WiFi 7 needed to use 6 GHz WiFi?
Yes. Both the access point and the client must support 6 GHz. WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 equipment can; plain WiFi 6 equipment cannot.
Can a 6 GHz access point be mounted outdoors?
Only a standard power access point operating under an AFC system, in the sub-bands the FCC allows. Low power indoor access points are restricted to indoor use and cannot have weather resistant housings.
Do WiFi 7 access points need a new switch?
Often, but not always. Check the access point’s PoE class and port speed against the switch. A gigabit switch with a limited PoE budget can run some models, at the cost of throughput or radio features.