Understanding Real-World Wi-Fi 4, 5, and 6 Performance Differences

In today's world, Wi-Fi technology is not static. Users need to keep up to date with the latest versions and standards. Most users find themselves bewildered about choosing the best Wi-Fi generation for home or office network usage. This article digs deep into the differences between Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, and Wi-Fi 6 by testing each standard under identical conditions. The results reveal that bandwidth capability plays a far more significant role in performance than the Wi-Fi generation itself.

Wi-Fi 4 vs. Wi-Fi 5 vs. Wi-Fi 6: The Key Differences

Before diving into the performance tests, it's essential to understand the differences in these Wi-Fi standards.

Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)

Launched in 2009, Wi-Fi 4 is viewed as the standard for contemporary wireless networking. It uses both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands but has a top bandwidth of only 40MHz. This limitation affects performance as a whole, especially for applications in noisy or overcrowded networks.

Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)

Launched in 2014, Wi-Fi 5 is the biggest leap, especially on the 5GHz band. The standard supports bandwidths up to 160MHz, allowing for faster speeds and reduced interference, which leads to better performance. However, Wi-Fi 5 still struggles with managing many devices simultaneously compared to newer standards.

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)

The latest release is Wi-Fi 6, released in 2019, and is an improvement over the Wi-Fi 5 generation, which it is built on, but with improvements such as 160MHz channel support, OFDMA, and MU-MIMO, which facilitates handling of multiple devices. It has improved performance in high-density environments like offices and public spaces.

Besides the many improvements in Wi-Fi 6, its key benefit over Wi-Fi 5 concerns its ability to function efficiently in overcrowded networks and maintain its high efficiency with a multi-device environment.

Test Methodology: Real-World Testing for a Fair Comparison

We test using identical conditions that form a baseline series for fair comparison between Wi-Fi 4, 5, and 6. In this manner, the differences in performance are observed purely based on the generation of Wi-Fi and not on issues like router quality or network congestion.

Test Setup

We used the following for our tests:

Router:

Cudy WR3000 is used with AX3000 Wi-Fi, running OpenWRT firmware. This router gave precise control over 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios, thus giving the ability to manually set the limit on each for only one Wi-Fi standard that could be tested.

Devices: Samsung Galaxy S22+ was used as the test device with Wi-Fi 6, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 was used, which has Wi-Fi 5 capabilities.

Both were connected to the MyBroadband Speedtest servers over a 400/400Mbps Afrihost Fibre connection to avoid any bottlenecks on the internet side. The tests were run over gigabit Ethernet to confirm the same speeds and low latency.

Testing Environment

The tests were done in two scenarios:

One room away from the router – simulating distances of typical households or offices.

Two rooms from the router – to test performance over a greater distance.

Each test comprised five speed tests conducted back-to-back to reduce the effect of error and achieve greater accuracy.

Results: Performance over Different Distances

One room from the router – the impact of bandwidth

At a close distance of only one room from the router, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5 had comparable speeds on the 5GHz band. The Samsung Galaxy S22+ did extremely well, as the download and upload speeds reached nearly the peak of both Wi-Fi standards.

Wi-Fi 6 could download at a rate of 410.1 Mbps, and upload at 425.7 Mbps.

Wi-Fi 5 downloaded at 407.3 Mbps, while the uploads were at 375.1 Mbps.

In contrast, Wi-Fi 4 (n) performance was significantly reduced. The maximum of 40MHz in bandwidth was restricting the download speeds to just 204.0 Mbps on Wi-Fi 4, where Wi-Fi 5 and 6 was significantly higher.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 only supports Wi-Fi 5, so bandwidth limitation was the primary reason for performance. On the 5GHz network with Wi-Fi 6, it was able to hit 300.2 Mbps download and 245.9 Mbps upload. On Wi-Fi 4 (n), speeds dropped to 200.6 for downloads and 194.2 for uploads.

However, when switching to the 2.4GHz band, the results were much worse. The Samsung Galaxy S22+ only achieved 36.7 Mbps for download and 53.3 Mbps for upload speeds on Wi-Fi 6, while the Surface Laptop 3 reached slightly better speeds on Wi-Fi 5 at 63.8 Mbps download and 34.4 Mbps upload.

Two Rooms Away: Distance and Bandwidth

On the other hand, the Surface Laptop 3 had a more consistent performance at 273.2 Mbps download and 202.1 Mbps upload on Wi-Fi 6.

On Wi-Fi 4, which is the older standard, performance was much worse at this distance. The Samsung Galaxy S22+ struggled with speeds as low as 93.2 Mbps download and 47.5 Mbps upload, while the Surface Laptop 3 still managed to achieve 196.2 Mbps download and 181.5 Mbps upload.

The 2.4GHz band started to show improvements in this case. The Surface Laptop 3 scored 56.7 Mbps download and 39.3 Mbps upload on Wi-Fi 5, compared to the Samsung Galaxy S22+, which could just maintain 21.2 Mbps download and 36.0 Mbps upload on Wi-Fi 6.

Key Takeaways: Do You Really Need Wi-Fi 6?

After rigorous testing, it is evident that Wi-Fi 6 is beneficial only for the handling of multiple devices on a network or in cases where network congestion is an issue. For users with a fast internet connection and few devices, upgrading from Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 5 can offer significant improvements without the need for Wi-Fi 6.

But for heavy users, smart homes, and those who need to transfer big files locally, Wi-Fi 6 offers excellent performance boosts. There's also the upcoming Wi-Fi 6E that operates on the 6GHz band and will further improve speeds and cut congestion once more devices embrace it.

Conclusion

Choosing the right Wi-Fi standard is about balancing speed, bandwidth, and device requirements. Wi-Fi 5 offers an excellent upgrade for many users, especially those with fast internet speeds. However, if you have a network full of devices or are looking to future-proof your setup, Wi-Fi 6 is the way to go.

For the average user, though, Wi-Fi 6 is not yet necessary. Its advantages will come alive in a few years as more devices incorporate it.