Bad wifi, many Dutch people suffer from this. It is often caused by the neighbor’s network. But old WiFi devices are also culprits. A new type of Wi-Fi network can solve many problems.
By Tim WijkmanThe new type of Wi-Fi is called ‘Wi-Fi 6E’. The first WiFi routers and devices with WiFi 6E have recently become available. Radio frequencies in the 6GHz band are used for this network. This frequency band is completely new for Wi-Fi, and is hardly used yet.
Older Wi-Fi networks use the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Those frequencies are already full of Wi-Fi networks. All those networks are fighting for a place and clashing with each other. A collision means disruption and therefore a poorer Wi-Fi signal.
Thanks to the new 6GHz band, extra space for Wi-Fi networks has been added. But the 6GHz band also solves the problem of interference from other networks in a different way.
“The higher radio frequency of WiFi 6E makes the range of the WiFi network slightly smaller, but so does the range of your neighbors’ networks. This means you are less affected by interference from other networks, making your WiFi network much faster.” Jan Buis, WiFi expert and head of development at the technology company Genexis, told NU.nl.
One WiFi router is not enough
You also suffer from the smaller coverage. One WiFi router will not be enough to provide every nook and cranny of your home with a WiFi signal. To do this, additional WiFi points must be installed in the house, which are preferably connected to the router via a cable.
“The best wireless networks are wired”, summarizes Olaf Weijers, network editor at Tweakers, briefly. “With WiFi 6E, you will have to set up a WiFi point in several places in the house for good coverage. It is best if those WiFi points are connected to the router via cables. Then the least speed is lost.”
In order to be able to use the new type of Wi-Fi network, devices must also be able to use it. That’s another problem. For example, even the latest iPhone can’t handle WiFi 6E yet. Only the latest computers, laptops, and Wi-Fi routers have Wi-Fi 6E support.
According to Weijers, it will take a while before the use of WiFi 6E is established in the Netherlands. “Until then, people who have a router and laptop with WiFi 6E support can enjoy it to the fullest. They are probably mostly only on the 6GHz band.”
Many Wi-Fi issues caused by old devices
Although WiFi 6E solves common problems, older types of WiFi networks do not yet have to be written off. With proper use, the current Wi-Fi network can often become faster and better.
“The Wi-Fi routers are often not the cause of the problems, but old Wi-Fi equipment,” says Buis. “Those devices claim the Wi-Fi network for themselves, as it were and get in the way of other devices. By turning off old devices, those problems disappear like snow in the sun and there is a good chance that the WiFi suddenly works very well.”
New devices are much better able to optimally use a Wi-Fi network and share it with other devices.
