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What’s Different About Wi-Fi 6?

Wondering what all the fuss is about when it comes to Wi-Fi 6? If you’re questioning what the differences are and whether it’s worth making hardware device changes, then read on.

The next generation of wireless standard is here (actually, it’s been here since the end of 2019). Wi-Fi 6, or 802.11ax has the following main differences:

  • It’s faster
  • It provides better performance in congested areas (think anything from your own device-packed home, to stadiums)

We know it informally as Wi-Fi 6 – Wi-Fi versions have now been assigned simple numbers to replace the more complicated code-like names that we saw before.

What are the Wi-Fi Version Numbers?

The new Wi-Fi version numbers are much more user friendly, but for the fellow geeks among us, here are what the new version numbers correspond to, plus (whilst not being officially branded) what all of the old versions would have been.

Wi-Fi 1 – 802.11b (released in 1999)

Wi-Fi 2 – 802.11a (also released in 1999)

Wi-Fi 3 – 802.11g (released in 2003)

Wi-Fi 4 – 802.11n (released in 2009)

Wi-Fi 5 – 802.11ac (released in 2014)

Wi-Fi 6 – 802.11ax (released in 2019)

You might start to see these newer version numbers appear in software when connecting your smartphone, tablet or laptop, to enable you to see which Wi-Fi networks are newer and faster. This is what the Wi-Fi Alliance announced that they would like to be seeing across networks. It’s worth noting that it isn’t mandatory for manufacturers to label their products with Wi-Fi 6 instead of 802.11ax, but we’re hopeful that most will. Re-naming products from 802.11ac to Wi-Fi 5 might be another matter though!

Wi-Fi That’s Faster

As with most technological advances, the latest development in Wi-Fi standard is faster in terms of data transfer speeds. In comparison to Wi-Fi 5, a Wi-Fi 6 router would provide one device with up to 40% higher speeds.

What Makes Wi-Fi 6 Faster?

The reason Wi-Fi 6 can achieve such faster speeds is due to more efficient data coding which thus results in higher throughput. Basically, the radio waves are packed with more data. With each Wi-Fi standard, the ability for the chips to encode and decode the data gets more powerful, hence why Wi-Fi 6 is faster than Wi-Fi 5, and can handle extra work.

You may be aware that we have 2 frequenceis used for networks – 5GHz and 2.4GHz. 5GHz is more commonly used as it is subject to less interference, however 2.4GHz is still a good option for being able to penetrate solid objects. Wi-Fi 6, the new standard, even increases speeds on these 2.4GHz networks.

How Will Wi-Fi 6 Affect the Battery Life on my Device?

Many Wi-Fi 6 enabled devices will have a new ‘target wake time’ feature. This means that an access point can define a specific set of times when devices connected to the internet need to have access to the wireless network. This new efficiency should mean that your Wi-Fi enables devices should have a longer battery life.

Let’s take your smartphone, for example. When the AP is talking to your phone, it can tell it when to put it’s Wi-Fi radio to sleep and when to wave it up to receive the next transmission. Because your device can spend more time in sleep mode, you should find your battery lasts longer.

It also means that devices that connect via Wi-Fi with lower power can benefit from longer battery life.

Wi-Fi That Performs Better in Crowded Areas

We know there hasn’t been much opportunity for it as late, but picture trying to get online at an airport, hotel or live event at a stadium. When an area is as congested with devices as these, you can suffer with slow Wi-Fi and even struggle to connect.

Wi-Fi 6 tackles just this problem. With new technology, superior to previous Wi-Fi standards, it’s purported that Wi-Fi 6 will improve the average speed of each user by at least 4 times. Even in crowded areas with lots of devices.

This isn’t just something that will benefit you when out in public places – It could be a huge help in your home as well. If you have a large family all with multiple devices connected to Wi-Fi, then this could be just the solution to stop the slow-down. Or perhaps if you live in a densely populated place, like a block of flats.

How Does Wi-Fi 6 Tackle Congestion from Multiple Devices?

There are various features that help Wi-Fi 6 better tackle the problem of heavily crowded networks. Just knowing that a Wi-Fi 6 device connected to a Wi-Fi 6 access point will work better may well be enough for you!

For those who want all the geeky details, here’s what’s going on to make Wi-Fi 6 better for networks with multiple or many devices.

Wi-Fi 6 technology is able to create a large number of sub-channels within one wireless channel. Date intended for each individual device can be carried by each sub-channel. This technology is called Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). Essentially this means that a Wi-Fi 6 enabled access point can talk to more devices at once.

Wi-Fi 6 also has improved MultipleIn/Multiple Out (MIMO). Again, this lets the access point talk to multiple devices at once through multiple antennas. The difference between this and Wi-Fi 5, is that while the latter enabled an access point to talk to multiple devices at the same time, it couldn’t allow the devices to respond at the same time, thus slowing things down. The new improved MIMO on Wi-Fi 6 is a multi-user version (MU-MIMO) which enables devices to respond to the access point at the same time.

Let’s look at another potential scenario. Wireless access points that are locating close to one another may transmit on the same channel. This means that the radio needs to listen and wait for a clear signal before it can reply. Wi-Fi 6 uses spatial frequency re-use which allows you to configure Wi-Fi 6 wireless access points with different Basic Service Set (BSS) colours, which consists of a number between 0 and 7. The device can then determine whether a particular channel has a weaker signal, and thus ignore it and transmit without waiting. This is another way in which Wi-Fi 6 will improve wireless performance in congested areas.

These are just a couple of the improvements to be seen from the new Wi-Fi 6 standard. There are many more, smaller enhancements which will improve the speed and performance with Wi-Fi 6.

How Do I Know If Something has Wi-Fi 6?

Luckily, thanks to this handy article, you’re now familiar with all the technical names of the different Wi-Fi standards, so you’ll know exactly what to look for. Right? Don’t panic! We’re only kidding. Thanks to the new versions, it’ll be easy for you to find devices that are certified Wi-Fi 6 (rather than hunting around for 802.11ax!). Device manufacturers are able to say whether their product is Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 5.

You may also start to see a logo saying ‘Wi-Fi 6 Certified’ on relevant devices. This means that the product has gone through the Wi-Fi Alliance’s certification process. The old Wi-Fi Certified logo simply told you it was Wi-Fi Certified, rather than what generation of Wi-Fi a product was. The new logo will make it clear if it is Wi-Fi 6. So there will be no need for trawling through product specifications!

When Can I Get Wi-Fi 6 Enabled Devices?

The new Wi-Fi 6 standard was finalised in 2019, with hardware being released in the latter part of the same year and into 2020. So you should be seeing Wi-Fi 6 enabled products in the market now. It’s shouldn’t be something you need to put too much thought into – As new routers, smartphones, tables and laptops are released into the market, they will just start to come with this new Wi-Fi 6 technology.

It’s worth remembering that to benefit from the improvements on the new Wi-Fi 6 standard, you need both the sender and receiver devices to support this latest generation of Wi-Fi 6. Whatever the connection, it will only operate in the mode that your device supports. For example, you may have a Wi-Fi 6 enabled router, a Wi-Fi 6 enabled smartphone, but a laptop that only supports Wi-Fi 5. You’ll see the advantages of Wi-Fi 6 on your smartphone, but the laptop will only work at Wi-Fi 5 capacity.

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Business Wi-Fi Facebook Wi-Fi Wi-Fi
What is Facebook Wi-Fi?
If you’re not one of the 100,000 businesses already using Facebook Wi-Fi then you may very well be asking this question! Facebook have launched their own Wi-Fi option, to help businesses connect with more people.

How does Facebook Wi-Fi work?

Most businesses will allow people to connect to their Wi-Fi – Sometimes with a password (recommended) and sometimes without. Whilst it’s much more secure for both your network and the guests using it to provide people with a Wi-Fi password, some may feel it’s a bit of a faff logistically.

This is where Facebook Wi-Fi helps – It allows people to connect to your business Wi-Fi without needing to share a password. Not only can it make things easier logistically, it could also help your business to reach new customers by increasing the number of check-ins to your Facebook Page. That way, your customer’s friends will discover you too!

What are the benefits of Facebook Wi-Fi?

  • As we’ve just mentioned, by utilising Facebook Wi-Fi in your business, you encourage users to check in, which in turn increases your exposure to a new audience and reach more potential customers through friends.
  • Currently, the most secure way to share Wi-Fi access is to give users a password to enable them to connect. Businesses have varying methods of sharing password information with their customers, but it can be frustrating for customers if they can’t find the information and arnd are keen to connect quickly. Facebook Wi-Fi means that people visiting your business won’t need a password in order to log connect to your Wi-Fi – You won’t need to share passwords with Facebook Wi-Fi.
  • Because it’s linked to your business Facebook page, you are able to gain insights on your visitors. Anonymous information is collected so you can identify how many returning visitors you have checking into your page through Facebook Wi-Fi.
  • It’s free! There is no charge to use Facebook Wi-Fi for your business.

How do I get Facebook Wi-Fi for my business?

If you’re eager to get started, you’ll need to add the Facebook Wi-Fi features to your existing Wi-Fi.

First of all, you will need to have a business page on Facebook and admin access to the page. Make sure your business has a physical address listed in the Page Info section.

You will also need to have a compatible router. If it is compatible, you need to enable Facebook Wi-Fi in your router’s settings.

If both admin access and router compatibility are in place set up could be complete in as little as 20 minutes!

Is my router compatible with Facebook Wi-Fi?

First, you need to know what router you have. You can find this information on your router box, or by typing your router’s IP address into your browser. Once you know what router you have, you can check to see if it’s compatible with Facebook Wi-Fi here. The list comprises of some of our favourite brands of business Wi-Fi kit, including Ubiquiti UniFi, Meraki, Aruba and Ruckus among others.

If your router is on the list, you can then click through to a handy set up guide on YouTube, specifically for your router. Easy peasy!

If your router isn’t compatible with Facebook Wi-Fi but you’re really desperate to use it, you’ll need to invest in a new router that is compatible.

Want to know more about Facebook Wi-Fi?

You can find more information about Facebook Wi-Fi on their website here.

Will you be using Facebook Wi-Fi for your business? Let us know – Come join the Wi-Fi chat on our socials @wifiexpertuk!

 

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Client Stories
Customer focus: Southern Storage

The Issue
As a warehouse and storage facility, it’s necessary for the team to be able to use their barcode scanning guns to identify the location and correct picking of items, constantly throughout the work day.

They found that their existing Wi-Fi system was not providing coverage in all the aisles and racks at many points in their warehouse, meaning staff had to return to a central area or corridor to check they had picked the right item, wasting time and creating potential mistakes.

With the delivery of new barcode scanners it was also necessary to ensure that the network would work to the best possible speeds.

What We Did
Having reviewed the existing installation, we found that access points broadcasting the Wi-Fi channels were incorrectly placed, often sending the main strength of the signal upwards into the roof as opposed to down to the working areas, and nowhere near the corridors.

The network was a mix of various home quality Wi-Fi extenders and domestic access points, with overlapping channels on a variety of frequencies that caused interference and packet loss constantly.

We replaced the existing access points with outside quality (warehouses are cold!) Ubiquiti Uni-Fi AP’s, and arranged the channels to ensure no interference and better utilisation of the free frequencies available.

These were installed correctly to ensure full coverage in all areas of the warehouse, and the power set correctly to ensure the barcode scanners successfully move between the AP’s seamlessly.

Take a look at what they do at Southern Storage https://southern-storage.co.uk/

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Technology Wi-Fi Advice
WiFi Faces Technical Challenges

The emerging wireless standard promises better WiFi but the promise introduces significant complexity.

IEEE 802.11 standards (g, a, n, ac) delivered WiFi performance improvements out of the box. They focused on progressively increasing the data rate over the wireless link. All that was needed to take advantage of any new standard, was a radio chipset that incorporated the new radio and MAC enhancements.

The situation is different for the upcoming 802.11ax standard. The focus of 802.11ax is not on increasing the data rate but on improving the overall wireless network performance. This introduces significant new radio and MAC enhancements such as OFDMA and BSS colouring.

Ranking high among the issues is a transmission-scheduling mechanism. The downlink transmission scheduling in WiFi has been a simple FIFO (First In First Out) system. 802.11e introduced a small variation regarding the maintenance of multiple transmission queues for different priority classes.

However, 802.11ax introduces significant complexity in wireless transmission scheduling due to its OFDMA and MU-MIMO enhancements.

  •  With MU-MIMO, there is now an option to transmit a single wireless frame to a single client or concurrently transmit different wireless frames to multiple clients using multi-user beamforming.
  • With OFDMA, there is now an option to transmit a single wireless frame to single client using traditional OFDM or concurrently transmit different wireless frames to multiple clients using subsets of channel width.
  • 802.11ax introduces multi-user transmission in uplink direction too. The AP needs to schedule multiple clients for concurrent uplink transmissions according to their requirements.

These methods need to take into account service requirements of traffic flows, radio conditions on the channel, client capabilities and client state feedbacks. It is no easy feat to come up with scheduling mechanisms that will work in most practical scenarios with relative ease of configuration and fine tuning.

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Wi-Fi Frequencies: An Overview

With all of the current and future Wi-Fi frequencies and technologies are really getting confusing, with that in mind theres actually more than you realise. So let’s take a look at what’s out there and what’s coming up, as well as trying to make it as simple as we can.

There are two common well known dominant Wi-Fi frequencies used by 802.11a/b/g/n systems, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Almost all modern Wi-Fi devices are made to operate in one or both of these frequencies. These frequencies now dominate most of our homes.

The same basic OFDM technology used by 802.11a in 5 GHz is also used in a 4.9 GHz public safety band. This band is 50 MHz wide it requires a license and is only available in some regulatory domains. There are specific and limited purposes for this band so you won’t see a lot of commercial interest or attention here.

The FCC also opened up 50 MHz of bandwidth in a 3.6 GHz licensed band. OFDM is used here as well. In the US this band requires a license but usage is not limited to certain technologies, so the band will be shared.  There aren’t many benefits to this frequency band and the interference avoidance requirements represent a moderate R&D requirement without much ROI.

You’ve most likely heard about this PHY spec in development. It builds on 802.11n MIMO technology in 5 GHz and seeks to expand on the HT PHY with a few developments that are a natural next step. 802.11n gave us 40 MHz bonded channels. 802.11ac will give us 80 MHz channels and, likely, 160 MHz channels.. 80 MHz bandwidth will get us past the gigabit rate threshold. MIMO will also be expanded to 8×8, but since client devices aren’t adopting that type of power hungry radio anytime in the near future (or ever), 8×8 will be used for MU-MIMO. MU-MIMO allows an AP to transmit simultaneous downlink frames to multiple users (MUs).

VHT 60 GHz (802.11ad) — This PHY opens up a fresh use case for Wi-Fi in the form of very high throughput at short range. There are a lot of challenges getting the kind of range that would be useful to enterprises. We’ll see short-range, high bandwidth applications, but there are still failings to see the exciting benefits that have been touted in the press.

White-Fi (802.11af) — The TV whitespace frequencies between 50 and 600 MHz have also created some exciting buzz in the past several months. There are many articles out there discussing the limitations and benefits of this band. The main issue with this frequency is that contiguous bandwidth is in short supply, so we see a handful of 6 MHz-wide channels, which will yield lower transmission rates than 802.11a/g. The merits of a low frequency are fairly well known; that is, despite the throughput-deficient bandwidth, the range and coverage is advantageous. Rural broadband applications are the evident winner with this technology where coverage is more important than bandwidth and high user density.

It is also worth mentioning 900 MHz. Back in the 1990s, 900 MHz was a popular pre-802.11-Wi-Fi frequency. It is an unlicensed ISM band. This is a semi-popular broadband frequency with decent range and limited throughput. Many vendors use proprietary PtP and PtMP solutions here for wireless distribution, but they are not defined by 802.11 and they are not designed for client access.

Wi-FI frequencies in brief:

  • 50-600 MHz TV Whitespace — Good range, low capacity.
  • 900 MHz — Proprietary PtP and PtMP. Decent range, slow rates.
  • 2.4 GHz — Well-known and used.
  • 3.6 GHz — Little-used, licensed band.
  • 4.9 GHz — Licensed public safety band.
  • 5 GHz — Well-known and used, the future of Wi-Fi.
  • 60 GHz — Short range, very high throughput.
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Siklu EtherHaul-2X00 Series

1 Gbps connectivity between two sites is sometimes necessary and an E-band set of radios that work within a 70-80 Ghz frequency is a viable solution.  The benefits of these radios are vast and varied.  Being relatively cheap makes them popular and this coupled with the fact that they are easy to deploy and manage makes them a Wi-Fi winner.

Siklu have created a solution in an E-band set of radios that will provide 2 Gbps connectivity over up to 7kms.  This wider channel width solution is able to work at lower modulations which makes it a great option compared to others on the market.  The EH -2X00 delivers 2Gbps full duplex point to point wireless connectivity making it robust and futureproof.

Being small in size, the tiny footprint allows easy site acquisition and an easy installation.  Moreover, the E-band spectrum is uncongested and offers a quick licensing process compared to other options.  Spectrum protection is maintained whist the cost is still relatively cheap.

The EH-2X00 series offers a great price per MB but alongside this its lower installation costs make it unbeatable in price.  The new model is based on an evolved version of a Siklu’s field proven platform making it extremely reliable.  This reliability cuts the cost of site visits which contributes to its exceptional value for money.

With 16 non-overlapping channels available to it, the EH-2X00 is able to deploy dense networks over greater distances and offers a great solution for those looking for 1Gbps between 2 sites.

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Coffee shop cyber-security – how high is the risk?

It’s fair to say that the media has a way of taking an idea and running with it, which can often create hysteria.  This week we’ve been reading a lot of stories about internet security in public spaces and have been questioning the findings.

 

Ipass have just published their 2017 security report and the findings have been interesting.  Coffee shops have been flagged up as public networks where hackers can most easily access other people’s data.  The findings stated that CEO’s present the greatest security risk to businesses as they are often working remotely and therefore connect to public wi-fi which could pose a risk.  Of course, CEO’s are in possession of valuable information and so the risk to a business could be colossal. Interestingly, the report states that many organisations have stepped up their security measures and don’t allow employees to connect to public networks due to concerns about internet safety.

 

These findings have not only raised questions for businesses but have also raised questions about our everyday safety and how reliable public wi-fi really is.  However, there are ways to ensure that you are always secure.  VPN’s can help to create a safer connection by encrypting information travelling to and from a device.  Using a VPN can inhibit these attacks and keep your information safe so we thoroughly recommend looking into that as an option.  The reports are interesting and raise valid points about cyber security.  However, it’s always worth bearing in mind that there are ways to reduce your risk.  Get in touch to find out more!

 

Read the full report here:

https://www.ipass.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iPass-2017-Mobile-Security-Report.pdf

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IoT’s uncoded

This week we’re asking what exactly is the new cultural phenomenon known as the ‘Internet of Things’ and how it will affect our industry.  The Internet of Things refers to the interconnection of computer devices in everyday objects which enables them to send and receive data – think Fitbit’s and Amazon Echo.  We’ve recently read some rather incredible stats about the Internet of Things:

According to Cisco, the number of connected devices will rise from 15 to 50 billion by 2020 and in 2019 it is estimated that 245 Million wearable devices will be sold (smartwatches, Fitbits, etc.)

Clearly, this growth is going to have a massive impact on the industry and create opportunities. Wi-Fi is essential to the proper functioning of the Internet of Things, however as there is currently no standardised technology we are seeing competition between technologies (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee etc.)  Whist the emergence of these new devices presents many opportunities, there will inevitably be challenges to networks as they become crowded and stressed.

Not only does overcrowding present itself as an issue for the Internet of Things there are questions surrounding the security of such devices.  These new data points are collecting masses of information from their subjects, collecting personal information that may be shared between third-parties (other apps etc.)

Overall, the Internet of Things presents new and exciting opportunities for us geeks working with Wi-Fi, but it seems that it may come at a price as we see the number of devices increase.  Still, we are excited by the prospect of this new technology and the opportunities it may bring to the market in the future.

 

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Pretty fly for a Wi-Fi

This week Quantas have announced free in-flight Wi-Fi services on all domestic trips and are even offering free Netflix and Spotify on their flights. In-flight Wi-Fi is becoming more and more popular, proving the power of connection and the necessity of Wi-Fi access. Even at 35,000 feet connection is essential & in this blog post we want to find out exactly how in-flight Wi-Fi works.

The first way that signal can reach you is through ground-based broadband towers. Effectively this method allows your device to hop from tower to tower as it travels over them. Signal is sent to the aircraft’s antennas and voila! However, this is far from foolproof and problems can occur when passing over large volumes of water where no mobile broadband towers exist. Obviously whilst flying this happens a lot. Luckily though, there is another way for signal to reach your device.

The second way is considered more effective and involves satellite technology. Far, far away in geostationary orbit sit satellites that send and receive information. They bounce signal from satellites to Earth and back again. The aircraft’s antenna then connects to these satellites and connects the aircraft to the closest signal that it can find. An on-board router then manipulates the signal and ensures that passengers receive Wi-Fi signal on their devices.

So there you have it – the mystery of in-flight Wi-Fi solved!

Staying connected is more important than ever and we are always looking to work with businesses to create effective solutions to Wi-Fi problems.

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