Home wireless networks have advanced tremendously over the past 15 years, enabling faster speeds and better coverage. This progress reflects steady improvements across many generations of consumer Wi-Fi routers. Let's examine some noteworthy milestones.
802.11n - Dual-Band Goes Mainstream
The 802.11n standard marked a major leap forward in 2009. It delivered up to 600 Mbps throughput, far exceeding the 54 Mbps top rate of the previous 802.11g spec. Early 802.11n Wi-Fi routers were single-band 2.4 GHz models focused on value. But mainstream adoption of dual-band routers soon followed, adding 5 GHz for reduced congestion.
802.11ac Wave 1 - Wider Channels
The 802.11ac standard brought gigabit Wi-Fi to homes in 2013. 802.11ac Wave 1 routers improved on 11n by utilizing wider 80 and 160 MHz channels in the 5 GHz band. This allowed a doubling of throughput to up to 1.3 Gbps using 256-QAM modulation. While not yet multi-user, 11ac Wave 1 laid the foundation for future multi-gigabit Wi-Fi.
802.11ac Wave 2 - MU-MIMO Gains
802.11ac Wave 2 routers emerged in 2016 with key enhancements like MU-MIMO. This groundbreaking technology allows simultaneous transmission to multiple clients, boosting efficiency. Combined with 4x4 spatial streams, 802.11ac Wave 2 routers achieved up to 2.3 Gbps of real-world speed.
Wi-Fi 6 - Efficiency Focus
Wi-Fi 6 routers implement the latest 802.11ax standard. The emphasis is on efficiency with technologies like OFDMA modulation, TWT scheduling, and UL/DL OFDMA. While throughput gains are modest, Wi-Fi 6 routers excel at handling many devices simultaneously - ideal for smart homes.
The Future
Expect continual innovation as manufacturers optimize beyond the specs. Multi-gig speeds will become mainstream over the next decade. Wi-Fi 7 and 802.11be will again widen channels and boost modulation for blistering performance. But enhanced efficiency will remain the key theme for supporting ever-growing device density.
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