Wi-Fi 7 is currently the state-of-the-art wireless networking standard for consumers and businesses, following in the footsteps of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. The Wi-Fi Alliance made grand promises about performance and reliability compared to earlier versions. Still, full support for some of Wi-Fi 7’s headline features is scarce to nonexistent in consumer wireless routers you’ll find from brick-and-mortar or online retailers.
We’ve tested some of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers in recent years, and the segment has exploded with options. You can now buy standard and gaming-focused routers, mesh routers, portable routers (which can be powered by battery packs), and even cellular Wi-Fi 7 hotspots. And with this wide range of devices come varying capabilities that may or may not adhere to standards set by the Wi-Fi Alliance.
But before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s take an overall look at the Wi-Fi 7 standard compared to its two immediate predecessors:
Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0 Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi-6 IEEE Standard 802.11be 802.11ax 802.11ax Wireless Bands 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Max Channel Bandwidth 320 Hz 160 Hz 160 Hz Maximum Spatial Streams 16 8 8 Maximum Bandwidth per Stream 2400 Mbps 1200 Mbps 1200 Mbps Theoretical Maximum Data Rate 46 Gbps 9.6 Gbps 9.6 Gbps Advanced Modulation 4K QAM 1024 QAM 1024 QAM
Confused yet? Well, it gets even more confusing. Wi-Fi 7 supports 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. However, not all global regions have licensed airways for consumer use of the 6 GHz band. So, while you can use 6 GHz consumer wireless devices in the United States, other regions, like China, don’t license that band for Wi-Fi devices.
This disparity has led router manufacturers to develop dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers that support just the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The benefit is that manufacturers can still use the Wi-Fi 7 branding to sell their latest networking gear, but it leaves customers even more confused. Consumers must look past the Wi-Fi 7 branding to ensure they’re purchasing a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router rather than a dual-band one. In addition, dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers don’t support the full 320 Hz maximum channel bandwidth and would technically only support MLO over two bands instead of three.
Multi-Link Operation
Multi-link Operation (MLO) has been billed as one of the key pillars of the Wi-Fi 7 experience, offering a reason to upgrade from Wi-Fi 6E to Wi-Fi 7. But first, a little background. With a traditional Wi-Fi router, a wireless client will connect to one band at a time. If you have a Wi-Fi 6E router that supports the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands, the wireless client will connect to one of those bands at a time.
However, MLO theoretically allows the router to bond two or more bands all within a single SSID. With properly-spec’d hardware, a client could connect to all three bands simultaneously and transmit/receive data as needed. The thing to remember here is that maximum throughput still cannot be greater than the fastest band available (6 GHz); instead, the wireless client can switch between bands while operating under the same SSID to account for the current wireless environment in real-time (i.e., traffic, radio interference, distance from the router, etc.).
There are two basic types of MLO that Wi-Fi 7 routers are capable of supporting:
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