Side-by-Side Comparison
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 4 vs. Wi-Fi 7
Comparing 2 standards across 12 specifications. 12 key differences identified.
Comparing:
Wi-Fi 4
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 4 (IEEE 802.11n) was ratified in 2009, introducing Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) spatial streaming and optional 40 MHz channel bonding across both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, achieving maximum theoretical physical link rates up to 600 Mbps.
Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be, Extremely High Throughput) was approved by IEEE-SA in 2024, operating across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. It features 320 MHz channel bandwidth, 4096-QAM modulation, 8x8 MU-MIMO (an early draft's 16 spatial streams was dropped before finalization), and Multi-Link Operation (MLO), achieving theoretical speeds up to about 23 Gbps in a single band.
Specification Comparison Table
12 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
IEEE Standard
|
IEEE 802.11n-2009 | IEEE 802.11be (Extremely High Throughput) |
|
Wi-Fi Generation
|
Wi-Fi 4 | Wi-Fi 7 |
|
Ratification Year
|
2009 | 2024 |
|
Frequency Bands
|
2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (Dual-Band) | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz (Tri-Band) |
|
Max Channel Width
|
40 MHz | 320 MHz |
|
Max Theoretical PHY Rate
|
600 Mbps | 23.06 Gbps |
|
Modulation Standard
|
64-QAM | 4096-QAM (4K-QAM) |
|
Max Spatial Streams (MIMO)
|
4x4 | — |
|
Guard Interval
|
400 ns (Short GI) / 800 ns (Standard) | — |
|
Typical Client PHY Rate (2x2)
|
— | 5.76 Gbps |
|
Spatial Streams (MIMO)
|
— | 8x8 |
|
Key Capabilities
|
— | Multi-Link Operation (MLO), Multi-RU Preamble Puncturing |