Wi-Fi 6 vs Wi-Fi 7: What's the difference wnd which is better for home internet?

If you're in the market for a new router, Wi-Fi 7 promises a better user experience in congested environments. Since the Wi-Fi Alliance's launched the new standard in early 2024, devices and routers with Wi-Fi 7 support have become more common. Like any new iteration, it comes with enhanced speeds and plenty of back-of-the-box buzzwords.

Fortunately, Wi-Fi 7 is backwards compatible, meaning that old printer you bought at a cousin's garage sale will connect to new routers without a hitch. You don't have to go out and replace all of your electronics. Those older devices can't take advantage of the networking standard's latest features, though.

Terms like 4K-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) and Multi-Link Operation can sound more like technobabble than meaningful improvements. And not every Wi-Fi 7 router comes equipped with the same features. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the key components of Wi-Fi 7 hardware, why it's worth investing in and what it means for your internet speeds.