New wifi standard released

[jeyf]

Wi-Fi 6 to identify devices that support 802.11ax technology

List of previous wifi release history:
• Wi-Fi 5 to identify devices that support 802.11ac technology
• Wi-Fi 4 to identify devices that support 802.11n technology

Supported on the iPhone 11
As of today, manufacturers can have compatible devices certified to use the “Wi-Fi 6 Certified” label.

In addition to offering faster speeds, Wi-Fi 6 also offers longer-range, reduced battery consumption and greater security, as well as better management of multiple devices connected to a single Wi-Fi router or hotspot.
Wi-Fi 6 is the marketing name given to the 802.11ax technology from the IEEE. It’s the newest generation of Wi-Fi that is optimized for mobile devices, capacity, and IoT (internet of Things). It debuted in 2018, and it will be ratified sometime in 2019.
The newest generation of Samsung phones are going to include 802.11ax, but no current Apple devices support it. While a few enterprise companies are now selling 802.11ax access points, very few products for the home are currently supporting it. We expect companies like Eero and Google to release new versions of the mesh networking products soon after the standard is ratified.

 

[hobowankenobi]

The big question for consumers will be: Are improvements worth the cost of upgrading?

For anybody buying a new router, it will be a no-brainer.

The only scenario NOT to buy AX gear would if one has a small simple area to cover...on a tight budget: like a studio or apartment. N gear would likely be more than adequate, and probably can be had for while at a very reduced cost vs. new AX gear.

For folks with larger complex areas, lots of devices or other challenges, AX should be an easy choice, especially when starting fresh, or it is time to replace gear.

The harder choice will be for folks that have a good set up now.

I, for example, have 3 UBNT access points to cover a medium-size house (including an external unit to cover the backyard and detached garage). The gear is in perfect condition and coverage is rock solid. Just replacing the 3 APs will likely cost about $300, perhaps more depending on which units support AX.

And what's more, not a single device (several Macs, PC, ATVs, iPhones, iPads and a Tesla ) support AX now....and most won't until they are replaced, which could be years.

So...barring AP hardware failure, I don't see upgrading for about 2-3 years, maybe as much as 4-6 years.

Will be watching to see what real-world improvements look like.

 

[mmomega]

I am a UniFi guy, so until they release an 802.11ax product, I'll be good with what I have. Yet, Probably for several more years even.

I had 3 UniFi AP Pro's and have since "downscaled" to a UniFi AC HD and 3 In-Wall AC Pro access points.

The iPhone 11 Pro Max would be the only single product to support WiFi 6. Current Xs can pull 500+Mbps, I can't see my iPhone usage requiring anything faster in the next few years.

 

[jeyf]

very interesting "rumor" if buying a new wifi access
make sure its certified for the latest and greatest.

 

[gsmornot]

Using AirPort Extreme AC's here and test results are 400-600, I can't imagine needing anymore for a while. I have gigabit fiber, desktop will test 900 plus but 400 is plenty for a WiFi connection. No rush to upgrade here.

 

[jeyf]

... s plenty for a WiFi connection. No rush to upgrade here.

maybe you will never need to buy another wifi again?

 

[guzhogi]

The school district I work for I guess is looking into getting WiFi 6 APs & multiGig ethernet switches. Not sure if/when we'll do this. Not sure how much WiFi 6 would help, but multiGig switches might. Considering we have a few hundred devices (Macs, iPads, and a few phones) at each school, the aggregate bandwidth needed is a bit.

 

[gsmornot]

maybe you will never need to buy another wifi again?

I think never is a bit of a stretch. At some point the routers will give out and since Apple does not make them anymore I have to reply on places like eBay to keep me supplied. Once they start to die I will swap them for something else but I’m not excited about it. They have already provided years of great service. I have teens and a wife that will work from home and when each does their thing and does not complain, I dont know what is sweeter. Ha.

 

[guzhogi]

Using AirPort Extreme AC's here and test results are 400-600, I can't imagine needing anymore for a while. I have gigabit fiber, desktop will test 900 plus but 400 is plenty for a WiFi connection. No rush to upgrade here.

maybe you will never need to buy another wifi again?

I'm just old enough to remember the days of "640K is more memory than anyone will ever need on a computer."

But seriously, I personally don't need too much bandwidth. The only real times I have problems is when there are lots of people. I've gone to conferences/conventions with 8,000+ people in the convention center. Could use better coverage to cover all those people.

 

[jeyf]

YES; 64K is more memory than anyone will ever need?

 

[hobowankenobi]

The only real times I have problems is when there are lots of people. I've gone to conferences/conventions with 8,000+ people in the convention center. Could use better coverage to cover all those people.

This.

At my work, there are about 6,000 APs. Most are about 2-3 years old, fairly current Aruba stuff.

Density and throughput (25,000+ users) is good overall, so not expecting any swaps to new gear.

Where we will likely see new AX stuff sooner is additional/new APs, as well as replacing failed APs, and then at some point....replacing APs due to age. Could be 3-4 years....could be 6+ years. Hard to say. But when they do get replaced, doubling density (number of connections per AP) will be the biggest benefit.

 

[guzhogi]

This.

At my work, there are about 6,000 APs. Most are about 2-3 years old, fairly current Aruba stuff.

Density and throughput (25,000+ users) is good overall, so not expecting any swaps to new gear.

Where we will likely see new AX stuff sooner is additional/new APs, as well as replacing failed APs, and then at some point....replacing APs due to age. Could be 3-4 years....could be 6+ years. Hard to say. But when they do get replaced, doubling density (number of connections per AP) will be the biggest benefit.

The thing about the conference I go to is it's 8,000+ people, all in the same room (attached is a picture of not everything, but enough to get an idea of it). No really good place to put all the APs. Even then, it only lasts 5 days, so I don't think/know if the convention center has that much incentive to do it. Especially considering it's in a different city every year.

View attachment IMG_2143.JPG

 

[MacBH928]

So...
is this a set standard that works fine, or is that kind of technology that you have to wait a few years until they iron the problems? I am up for upgrading but I rather have a stable Wifi 5 over troublesome Wifi 6

My other question is, Wifi 5 devices and lower will benefit 0 from this or is there an advantage for devices with older wireless technology?

This.

At my work, there are about 6,000 APs. Most are about 2-3 years old, fairly current Aruba stuff.

Density and throughput (25,000+ users) is good overall, so not expecting any swaps to new gear.

Where we will likely see new AX stuff sooner is additional/new APs, as well as replacing failed APs, and then at some point....replacing APs due to age. Could be 3-4 years....could be 6+ years. Hard to say. But when they do get replaced, doubling density (number of connections per AP) will be the biggest benefit.

6000 APs? at $50 your company spent $300K on wireless antennas alone!
May I ask why Aruba specifically? Why not Netgear or TP-Link? Do they sell Aruba to consumer or only in batches for enterprise?

 

[2984839]

So...
is this a set standard that works fine, or is that kind of technology that you have to wait a few years until they iron the problems? I am up for upgrading but I rather have a stable Wifi 5 over troublesome Wifi 6

My other question is, Wifi 5 devices and lower will benefit 0 from this or is there an advantage for devices with older wireless technology?



6000 APs? at $50 your company spent $300K on wireless antennas alone!
May I ask why Aruba specifically? Why not Netgear or TP-Link? Do they sell Aruba to consumer or only in batches for enterprise?

I bet it was way more than $50 each if it was Aruba.

We have a similar number of APs at work, though they are all Cisco. Using Aruba would make sense since we are an HP shop already, but the Ciscos were already there, and as @hobowankenobi says, if it works, we're not going to change it. That's a big task and not cheap at all, so I doubt we will see the new standard at work anytime soon.

Personally, I like Aruba a lot and have an IAP-315 in my house.

 

[hobowankenobi]

6000 APs? at $50 your company spent $300K on wireless antennas alone!
May I ask why Aruba specifically? Why not Netgear or TP-Link? Do they sell Aruba to consumer or only in batches for enterprise?

Last I looked, enterprise APs (Aruba, Meraki, Ruckus) range from about $300 to $1000. Each. Ours look like this, though I don't know the exact model.

Aruba is enterprise only, and you need a controller too (maybe they have some that don't require a controller, don't know for sure)....which is $ to buy plus an ongoing contract to maintain. Same with Ruckus and Meraki/Cisco last time I looked.

I don't work in the network group, but when you have over 100 buildings and about 25000 people, and maybe up to 100,000 devices....uptime, reliability, and density are driving forces, even more than AP cost.

The funny thing is, my understanding is they spent more on switches than wifi. Beefy switches are $$$ Buy about 600-800 of those...it will leave a dent in your wallet.

All this brings home the point....UBNT stuff is a good value. Prosumer to low-end enterprise gear, at a fraction of the cost of the "premium" brands. Right in line with the cost of the best consumer gear.

 

[hobowankenobi]

The thing about the conference I go to is it's 8,000+ people, all in the same room (attached is a picture of not everything, but enough to get an idea of it). No really good place to put all the APs. Even then, it only lasts 5 days, so I don't think/know if the convention center has that much incentive to do it. Especially considering it's in a different city every year.

A challenge. A venue has to commit to it as part of what services they provide. There are tools out there, if one knows where to look.

A venue like the above could really benefit from the increased density of the new protocol. In the total install cost, the twelve $1500 APs are probably the cheapest part.

 

[2984839]

Last I looked, enterprise APs (Aruba, Meraki, Ruckus) range from about $300 to $1000. Each. Ours look like this, though I don't know the exact model.

Aruba is enterprise only, and you need a controller too (maybe they have some that don't require a controller, don't know for sure)....which is $ to buy plus an ongoing contract to maintain. Same with Ruckus and Meraki/Cisco last time I looked.

I don't work in the network group, but when you have over 100 buildings and about 25000 people, and maybe up to 100,000 devices....uptime, reliability, and density are driving forces, even more than AP cost.

The funny thing is, my understanding is they spent more on switches than wifi. Beefy switches are $$$ Buy about 600-800 of those...it will leave a dent in your wallet.

All this brings home the point....UBNT stuff is a good value. Prosumer to low-end enterprise gear, at a fraction of the cost of the "premium" brands. Right in line with the cost of the best consumer gear.

The Aruba "Instant" APs don't need a controller, and they can spread their configuration to other Instant APs on the network, with a single management IP. It's fun to use and nice for small deployments.

More info: https://www.envisionsuccess.net/blog/deploying-a-wireless-network-with-aruba-in-ten-minutes

 

[hobowankenobi]

The Aruba "Instant" APs don't need a controller, and they can spread their configuration to other Instant APs on the network, with a single management IP. It's fun to use and nice for small deployments.

More info: https://www.envisionsuccess.net/blog/deploying-a-wireless-network-with-aruba-in-ten-minutes

Very nice. While I work at a large institution, I love to see the gear targeting smaller installs and orgs. Good to know there are more options!

 

[MacBH928]

Last I looked, enterprise APs (Aruba, Meraki, Ruckus) range from about $300 to $1000. Each. Ours look like this, though I don't know the exact model.

Also, $1000 AP? what can it do that a consumer $100 AP can't? thats insane.

 

[2984839]

Also, $1000 AP? what can it do that a consumer $100 AP can't? thats insane.

It's a combination of factors, some of which are user visible, and some are not.

1.) Physically, they are much better built. I have an Aruba IAP-315 at home along with a pair of Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LITEs and the Aruba is probably 3x heavier than the Ubiquitis.

2.) Their firmware is going to go through significantly more rigorous quality control checks. These are APs that customers will expect to never need rebooting. They cannot be allowed to crash, and security is paramount.

3.) They have more features. I have not personally used Ruckus or Cisco, but the Arubas have rogue AP detection, RF mapping, enterprise authentication, can spread their config to other APs on the network, among other features. They can also handle much more clients reliably and at higher bandwidths.

4.) They have much better customer support channels. Updates for security or reliability problems have to come quickly. They are also supported with updates for a long time.