Wifi 6: The Future of IoT

Wi-Fi has a checkered history. Given the number of innovations that have been combined to produce radio technology—four of which stand out—that may not come as a surprise. The first was Hawaii, which in the 1970s developed a ground-breaking packet-radio network. Seven campuses on four distinct islands were connected by ALOHAnet so they could communicate with one another through a centralized computer on Oahu.

 

Second, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) of the United States codified the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) utilization of the 2.4-GHz spectrum (among other allocations) in 1985. Businesses were encouraged by the action to think about how to make use of this brand-new radio resource.

 

After that, in the 1990s, radio astronomy experts from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) came up with a fix for the multipath problems that hampered indoor, high-throughput radio communications. The finding opened the door to the widespread usage of Wi-Fi and established the architecture for wireless local-area networks (WLANs).

 

Later, an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) standards committee created the physical-layer (PHY) and media-access-control (MAC) specifications for the WLAN protocol known as IEEE 802.11. The planned application was "wireless Ethernet," which connected computers in a way that was previously not conceivable with wired networking by using RF technology.

 

The group produced IEEE 802.11-1997, the first iteration of the Wi-Fi specification, which was published in June 1997. Then, in 1999, the standard was updated to incorporate the innovation that serves as the cornerstone of the majority of modern Wi-Fi systems. The Wi-Fi Alliance was created to increase the technology's accessibility.

 

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What Is Wi-Fi?

 

The non-profit Wi-Fi Alliance coined the term "Wi-Fi" to describe a collection of wireless networking protocols that are based on the IEEE 802.11 network standard. Although Wi-Fi has been present since the late 1990s, it has changed significantly during the past ten years.

 

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Wi-Fi 6: What is it?

 

The following generation of Wi-Fi is Wi-Fi 6. It will continue to connect you to the internet, which is its fundamental function, but with several new technologies that will enable it to do so more quickly and with greater efficiency.

 

How Fast is Wifi 6?

 

The quick but insufficient response is 9.6 Gbps. That's an increase from Wi-Fi 5's 3.5 Gbps. The real response is that neither of those speeds is realistically achievable while using Wi-Fi; they are theoretical maximums. Furthermore, it's not entirely apparent that you'd need those speeds even if you could get them. In the US, the average download speed is only 72 Mbps or less than 1% of the theoretical maximum speed.

 

However, it is still significant that Wi-Fi 6 has a far higher theoretical speed limit than its predecessor. There is no requirement that all 9.6 Gbps flow to a single computer. It may be divided among a vast network of gadgets. That increases each device's potential speed.

 

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Where can I find Wi-Fi 6?

 

You'll have to purchase new equipment. For the latest version of Wi-Fi, you'll need to purchase new phones, laptops, and other devices because it doesn't just work with software updates. This is not something you should rush out and buy a new laptop for, just to be clear. For any one device, it's not a game-changing upgrade.

 

Instead, Wi-Fi 6 will start shipping as standard with new devices. Over the next five years, you'll replace your phone, laptop, and gaming consoles with new ones that come equipped with the newest Wi-Fi standards. However, there is one item you will need to make a point of purchasing: a new router. No matter how many Wi-Fi 6 gadgets you bring home, you won't get any benefits if your router doesn't support it. (Connecting Wi-Fi 5 devices to a Wi-Fi 6 router, however, might be advantageous due to the router's potential for supporting more simultaneous connections.)

 

Again, it's not something you should run out and purchase. A Wi-Fi 6 router, however, may be able to significantly aid if your house is crammed with Wi-Fi-connected smart devices and things start to slow down after a couple of years. For some good options, read this article.

 

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Wifi 6 is also known as 802.11 ax

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Challenges in Power and Deployment:

 

The growth of Wi-Fi is currently being impacted by five major events, the latest of which is the Internet of Things. The term "Wi-Fi" was coined in 1999 by businessman Kevin Ashton who was a proponent of RFID and was still two years away from official approval when the first Wi-Fi standard was formed. Today, wireless technologies connect billions of gadgets (or "things") to the established internet.

 

For short-range Internet of Things networks, the protocols Thread, Zigbee, and others hold sway. Wide-area networks (WANs) for the IoT are proven to be a practical solution thanks to the cellular IoT's LTE-M/NB-IoT and LoRaWAN. What about Wi-Fi now? It would seem to be the best option for wireless networks that need greater range than the short-range, low-power protocols can provide but do not need the kilometers or more of the WAN technologies' range. A closer examination indicates that Wi-Fi has several serious drawbacks for IoT applications, too.

 

Power usage is the primary issue. Wi-Fi's function is high throughput, which consumes battery power. In contrast, IoT wireless systems frequently aim to minimize on-air time to extend battery life and lower maintenance. The trade-off is a lower throughput, although, for sensors and actuators that only sometimes produce small amounts of data, this is rarely an issue.

 

Wi-Fi has issues when there is a dense deployment. When utilizing public hotspots in crowded malls and libraries, many of us are accustomed to witnessing an intermittent performance. Customers can typically afford to put up with it, even though it is inconvenient. In industrial networks with many sensors, several problems can occur.

 

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Features of Wifi 6:

 

• Ready for IoT Architecture:

 

Officially known as IEEE 802.11ax and marketed as Wi-Fi 6, the new Wi-Fi version makes improvements that it promises will enable the Internet of Things to adopt the technology more widely. The Wi-Fi Alliance earlier this year approved Wi-Fi 6, which was developed specifically to meet the demands of dense installations in both commercial and industrial settings. Enhancements to throughput and spectral efficiency, which enable more network connections while maintaining decent service, are the key benefits of the new edition. Numerous enhancements are included in the latest edition.

 

When adopting the new orthogonal frequency-division, multiple-access (OFDMA) feature, for instance, devices can use less than one channel of bandwidth while sharing the bandwidth with other devices on the network to increase capacity. These technological advancements also enable quicker response from and to connected equipment. In contrast to preceding Wi-Fi versions, Wi-Fi 6 can handle large sensor networks made up of hundreds of devices with ease.

 

Wi-Fi 6 also represents a substantial technological advance for applications in the smart office and home. Target wake time (TWT), a development over older Wi-Fi versions' power-saving techniques, is a significant improvement.

 

When using TWT technology, client devices and access points negotiate wake-up times (APS). The clients do not need to be awake to keep the wireless connection. An AP can therefore aggregate large clusters of client requests into fewer triggered transmit possibilities. The benefits include enhanced, conflict-free channel access and significant power savings for client devices of up to 80% in comparable applications. Therefore, IoT devices with long battery lives are more beneficial.

 

To increase security, Wi-Fi 6 employs Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA 3). (although this was rolled out separately to Wi-Fi 6). The Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) protocol is utilized by WPA3 security in place of the Pre-Shared Key approach employed by prior WPA2 security. SAE can thwart some brute-force attacks against routers that employ PSK.

 

Another big advantage of Wi-Fi 6 is that IoT devices can connect directly to the cloud via routers without the need for additional data subscriptions. Furthermore, the technology's higher throughput compared to traditional short-range wireless alternatives makes it possible for unique use cases like wireless security cameras and high-quality video doorbells. When transferring large amounts of data, a wearable gadget that streams music can employ the additional throughput to support Bluetooth.

 

• Internet for Smart Homes:

 

Wi-Fi 6 is supported by the Connectivity Standards Alliance as a fundamental element of the smart home since it aims to make it simpler to link devices using different wireless protocols. Matter, the alliance's unified IP-based connection protocol, is designed to work with Wi-Fi 6 (and older generations) in addition to Ethernet and Thread (and for ease of commissioning, BLE).

 

The CSA initiative will make extensive use of "border routers". Such devices are not a brand-new concept. However, up until this moment, vendors were required to develop their solutions. The device is a specific type of router that links close-by networks using additional physical layers from an IEEE 802.15.4 network (such as Wi-Fi). Border routers might be regularly incorporated in goods like smart speakers and lighting fixtures to make Internet Protocol (IP)-based communication more practicable for both suppliers and customers.

 

Only recently have products for industrial Wi-Fi 6 begun to become accessible. But in a few years, cellular IoT, Wi-Fi 6, and short-range wireless will all operate in concert to deliver the expansive, durable, and low-latency networks essential for the IoT to reach its full potential. To spearhead this change, Nordic Semiconductor, a pioneer in creating and manufacturing all three wireless technologies, strives.

 

• Increased Battery Life:

 

Devices can schedule connections with a router using another new feature of Wi-Fi 6, which minimizes the amount of time they must have their antennas powered on to transmit and look for signals. This results in longer battery life and less battery drain.

 

Target Wake Time, a router feature that enables check-in times with devices, makes all of this feasible. However, it won't necessarily be advantageous. It's doubtful that you'll utilize this feature frequently because your laptop requires constant internet access (except, perhaps, when it moves into a sleep state).

 

This function is more suited to tiny, already-low-power Wi-Fi devices that merely need to periodically update their status. (Consider tiny sensors installed all over a house to keep an eye on things like leaks or smart home devices that are left on for most of the day.)

 

• Wi-Fi 6 also brings improved security:

 

With the introduction of a new security standard dubbed WPA3, Wi-Fi last year began receiving its biggest security update in ten years. WPA3 makes some data less relevant even if hackers manage to access it, making it harder for them to crack passwords by repeatedly speculating them.

 

WPA3 compatibility is currently available in devices and routers, but it is optional. The Wi-Fi Alliance requires WPA3 to certify a Wi-Fi 6 device, thus once the certification program begins, the majority of Wi-Fi 6 devices are likely to have more robust security.

 

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Note for the end: Things to watch out for while buying WiFi 6 devices

 

Discussing the subtleties of networking quickly becomes technical even with the new numbering system. Fortunately, the WiFi Alliance's certification program has a logo. You can look for a "WiFi 6 certified" sticker on the packaging when buying a new router or other technology. That is all there is to know. You don't need to worry about backward compatibility because devices that use older standards will function without a hitch.

 

At the time of writing, WiFi 6 is generally available on pricey smartphones, laptops, and routers, as well as an increasing number of less expensive goods. However, it is still some time until WiFi 6 completely replaces WiFi 4 and 5 as the industry standard. 

 

If your home is becoming more intelligent every day or you already need to support a very active wireless network, you should think about upgrading to a WiFi 6 router and designing your home around the new standard. In any case, WiFi 6 compatibility is a pleasant bonus but not a must-have feature for your upcoming significant gadget buy.