How Can Wi-Fi 6 Improve Your Network

Having trouble staying connected to your home network during remote meetings, online gaming, or streaming your favorite content? If the answer is yes, there may be a Wi-Fi bottleneck limiting the performance in your home network. It might be time to consider upgrading to Wi-Fi 6. 

It’s very common to be in a congested Wi-Fi environment. Consider  a household with a few working adults, they each have a connected device, and they all need reliable and consistent Wi-Fi performance. One person is working remotely from their patio, the other is broadcasting a university lecture, and the other is streaming gameplay online. Disruptions in any of these situations can be tricky, but Plugable can help steady this connection.

Evaluating your Wi-Fi setup can make a huge difference in your day-to-day productivity and leisure as newer Wi-Fi standards reach consumers. The new Plugable USB Wi-Fi 6 adapter, USB-WIFIAX, can bring you up to speed with all the features that Wi-Fi 6 has to offer.  

There are a few ways to tackle the problem of spotty and slow Wi-Fi in your environment. Upgrading your computer’s Wi-Fi capabilities is a great way to extend the life of your Windows desktop or laptop. Many computers that are a few years old will see a significant improvement upgrading from older Wi-Fi 3/4/5 to a more modern Wi-Fi 6 network standard. And the easiest way to do that is with a Wi-Fi adapter, like the USB-WIFIAX. 

The same idea also applies to routers on older Wi-Fi standards as they will often have less range, reduced capacity to support multiple devices, and longer latency times. Ethernet adapters solve many of these problems as well although they may not always be practical to use in certain situations, like in a shared home where the router is located in a common area.

What features are new to Wi-Fi 6

• OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division multiple access) - to simplify, this feature divides Wi-Fi channels such as the 20Mhz channel into small sections that can be shared with other Wi-Fi 6 devices. With previous Wi-Fi standards, devices alone could take up an entire channel. Wi-Fi is a finite resource as the FCC only allows for a few channels and bands.
• 1024 QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) - this allows more data to be packed through Wi-Fi channels and has a 25% improvement in data throughput compared to Wi-Fi 5.

Which features to look for in a Wi-Fi 6 router to pair with the Plugable USB-WIFIAX?

To best utilize the features of the USB-WIFIAX to faster internet speeds, and as a result, faster download speeds, it’s critical to pair it with a router based on the Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) network standard. Wi-Fi 6 brings with it several advancements compared to its predecessors such as improved network speeds, lower latency, improved security through WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access), and much more.

• Beamforming - this technology uses several of the router’s antennas to direct the wireless signal in the direction of the USB-WIFIAX instead of equally in all directions.
• Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) - enables your router to use its multiple antennas to send more data over a longer distance to multiple devices. A router that features 4x4 or 8x8 Mu-Mimo is recommended as the USB-WIFIAX supports Mimo.
• DFS Channels - increases the number of Wi-Fi channels available and decreases the likelihood of interfering neighboring Wi-Fi signals.

Optimal Router Placement

There are a few things to look for when setting up your Wi-Fi network. The placement of your router should ideally be placed in a centralized location like a living room and away from any obstructions. There are several options for free Wi-Fi mapping apps that can help locate dead spots in your home. 

Using the USB Cradle to minimize signal interference

Placement is key here as signal interference can occur from a variety of sources such as Bluetooth radios, Wi-Fi signals from your neighbors, and even an active microwave. Elevating the adapter on a high shelf or on top of a desk with the USB Cradle can help to get the most optimal reception out of your home network.