How to Build a Wi-Fi 6 Network Across Your Home

Monday, 01 March 2021

Your Guide to a Wi-Fi 6Home Network Installation

Does this sound like your Wi-Fi struggles? You settle down to watch a movie on Disney+ or Netflix, and twenty minutes in, the video stops. You restart the program or stare at a loading screen, waiting.

Or perhaps you try to join a Zoom meeting for work. Suddenly, your feed freezes. You exit the call, fiddle with the router, and try to join the conference again, flustered and stressed.

It’s 2021—so why do so many people still struggle with internet connection? Maybe it’s time to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6, the latest wireless networking technology. We’ll share below how a Wi-Fi 6 network installation can vastly benefit your Fort Lauderdale, FL, home.

And if you join us March 14th on Facebook Live, we’ll demonstrate how a Wi-Fi 6 network works in real-time.

Wi-Fi 6: What Is It?

Wi-Fi technology is always upgrading and changing, like new versions of smartphones or computer operating systems. Wi-Fi 6, also called 802.11ax, is the latest version. It’s incredibly fast, with 9.6 gigabits per second for bandwidth speed. Wi-Fi 5 only offers 3.5 Gbps, for context. Wi-Fi 6’s MU-MIMO programming lets the router connect with more devices simultaneouslyso that you won’t experience network crashes.

The Benefits

If you’re currently running multiple laptops, phones, wireless speakers, smart TVs, and other home devices, you’re probably exhausting your router’s capacity and causing traffic jams. Since Wi-Fi 6 routers and access points can communicate with up to eight gadgets at once, your technologies won’t have to wait in line for their turn to send and receive data.

Plus, your devices will experience longer battery lives when running on Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 6 accomplishes this through a feature called ‘wake time targets,’ which creates moments of downtime between transmissions. This will prolong the lifespan of your computers, tablets, phones, etc.

To benefit from Wi-Fi 6, you’ll need devices with compatible hardware. Your older tech might not be able to enjoyfaster speeds with Wi-Fi 6, but they’ll still be able to run on it. As time goes on and you upgrade new devices, they’ll perform longer and faster than ever.

Necessary Elements of a Network

Router

If your router is more than three years old, it’s time for an upgrade. Wi-Fi 6 routers are now widely available on the market and provide superior performance and security. Wi-Fi 6 routers support WPA3, which is the latest encryption standard making it trickier for hackers to access data.

Wireless Access Points

If your property is large with multiple floors or an L-shaped design, you probably struggle to get Wi-Fi across the entire house, let alone outside. That’s where access points can help.

Wireless access points aren’t the same as a router. An access point connects to your Wi-Fi 6 router and then projects a new signal to a designated area. Access points are wired into a router, unlike range extenders which wirelessly lengthen an existing Wi-Fi signal. Since access points are connected through a wire, they can be installed as far away as you’d like.

PoE Switch

A Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switch provides both power and network to devices via Ethernet cabling. You can use a PoE switch to power your wireless access points across the house, all controlled from one location. Since PoE switches cover both network and power, you’ll only need one cable rather than two running to each device.

PoE is a smart solution for expanding networks into multiple rooms, especially if power sockets are limited. A network-connected power supply can function as backup power for your PoE devices and provides reboots to all access points.

Want to Learn More About Wi-Fi 6? Watch our Facebook Live on the Topic

It can be confusing getting started with a new home network. But if you watch our Facebook Live event here, we’ll explain the ins and outs of Wi-Fi 6, access points, Power over Ethernet, and more.

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