Side-by-Side Comparison
Wi-Fi
Legacy Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g) vs. Wi-Fi 6E
Comparing 2 standards across 15 specifications. 15 key differences identified.
Comparing:
Legacy Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g)
Wi-Fi 6E
Legacy IEEE 802.11 standards (802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11g) established commercial consumer wireless networking between 1999 and 2003, transitioning from 11 Mbps DSSS/CCK in the 2.4 GHz band to 54 Mbps OFDM modulation across both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
Wi-Fi 6E is an extension of the IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) standard into the unlicensed 6 GHz frequency band (5.925–7.125 GHz). It provides up to 1,200 MHz of additional contiguous spectrum, unlocking 14 extra 80 MHz or 7 extra 160 MHz channels completely free from legacy interference and radar DFS restrictions.
Specification Comparison Table
15 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Frequency Bands
|
2.4 GHz (802.11b/g), 5 GHz (802.11a) | 6 GHz (5.925 to 7.125 GHz in US; 5.945 to 6.425 GHz in EU) |
|
Standards Included
|
802.11b (1999), 802.11a (1999), 802.11g (2003) | — |
|
Max Data Rate (802.11b)
|
11 Mbps | — |
|
Max Data Rate (802.11a/g)
|
54 Mbps | — |
|
Max Channel Width
|
20 MHz | — |
|
Modulation Schemes
|
DSSS / CCK (802.11b), OFDM (802.11a/g) | — |
|
Spatial Streams (MIMO)
|
1 (SISO only) | — |
|
IEEE Standard
|
— | IEEE 802.11ax-2021 (6 GHz Extension) |
|
Wi-Fi Generation
|
— | Wi-Fi 6E |
|
Available 6 GHz Spectrum (US)
|
— | 1200 MHz |
|
Available 6 GHz Spectrum (EU)
|
— | 480 MHz |
|
160 MHz Non-Overlapping Channels
|
— | Up to 7 (in 1200 MHz domains) |
|
Max Theoretical PHY Rate
|
— | 9.6 Gbps |
|
DFS Radar Avoidance Requirement
|
— | None (Zero DFS in 6 GHz) |
|
Legacy Device Interference
|
— | None (6 GHz-only devices allowed) |