topic Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook in Broadband & Landline

WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

dazzlr — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 16:33:30 GMT

I am currently on BT with a Smart Hub 2 and considering upgrading my router to an EE Smart Hub Pro Router Tri-Band 6GHz 5GHz 2.4GHz (from eBay).

When using this router, does upgrading your PC or laptop WiFi hardware to 6 (or 7) via a plug-in USB adapter have a noticeable effect on speed? I currently use a TP-Link Archer T4U AC1300 Dual Band Wi-Fi Adaptor and may be looking to replace it with something that has the additional 6Ghz speed - if it's worth it.

Advice welcome. Seem to be lots of 802.11ax devices on Amazon, but no 802.11be USB (that I can see).

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

Northerner — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 17:10:01 GMT

Hi @dazzlr

Yes you will see a difference if you have a better frequency router.

Just make sure the router is compatible with your service.

Thanks

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

Mustrum — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 17:20:02 GMT

@dazzlr which broadband service /speed do you have, and which BT router.

If it is the BT Smart Hub 2, that should be capable of giving you the maximum speeds BT offer, so a WiFi6 or 7 rouer is not going to be any faster.

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

JimM11 — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 18:52:28 GMT

@dazzlr Out off interest what speed's are you getting with your current hardware?

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

dazzlr — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 18:57:21 GMT

So I appreciate that a Wi-Fi 6 or 7 capable router will not give me faster broadband speed but should give me faster/stronger Wi-Fi signal with compatible devices. Correct?

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

dazzlr — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 19:08:25 GMT

So I'm on Full Fibre 100.
I get 150Mbps with wired and also with WiFi 5 GHz, when in close proximity to the router.
I get around 75 GHz in my office a couple of rooms away.

I'm out of contract so looking to upgrade to 300 or 500 soon.

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

JimM11 — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 19:10:02 GMT

@dazzlr So do your upgrade, and don't waste your money on anything else.

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

dazzlr — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 07:04:49 GMT

So upgrading to a WiFi 6 or 7 router is a waste? OK interested to know more.

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

JimM11 — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 07:23:32 GMT

@dazzlr Link to a document for you. Save as and read at your leisure they have stopped downloads off it.

www.wiisfi.com

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

bobpullen — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 10:20:19 GMT

@dazzlr wrote:
I am currently on BT with a Smart Hub 2 and considering upgrading my router to an EE Smart Hub Pro Router Tri-Band 6GHz 5GHz 2.4GHz (from eBay).
When using this router, does upgrading your PC or laptop WiFi hardware to 6 (or 7) via a plug-in USB adapter have a noticeable effect on speed?

WiFi 6/7 comes with quite a few improvements, not all speed related. How this translates to noticeable 'real-life' improvement kind of depends on your circumstances though.

The Smart Hub 2 is Wi-Fi 5 and doesn't support 160MHz channel widths on 5GHz. The Pro is Wi-Fi 7, supports 160MHz on 5GHz and 320MHz on 6GHz. Using a typical 2x2 Wi-Fi adapter (and assuming it supports the wider channel widths) underoptimal conditions i.e. right next to the hub with little interference: -

Smart Hub 2 = maximum link speed of 867Mbps regardless of Wi-Fi 5, 6 or 7 adapter
Smart Hub Pro w./ Wi-Fi 5 adapter = maximum link speed of 1733Mbps
Smart Hub Pro w./ Wi-Fi 6/6E adapter = maximum link speed of 2401Mbps
Smart Hub Pro w./ Wi-Fi 7 adapter = maximum link speed of 5764Mbps

Note that the link speed is not the same as the actual throughput you can get. As a very rough approximation, reduce it by ~40%.

Also note if you're looking at sourcing a new Wi-Fi adapter: Wi-Fi 6 does not support the 6GHz band. For that you need Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. You also need to consider the speed of your USB port e.g. USB-2 will only support transfer speeds of ~500mbps or so.

There are BE USB adapters available by the looks of things e.g. this one, although it doesn't look like it supports 320MHz.

Personally, I'd steer clear of USB adapters and look at upgrading the internal Wi-Fi card instead if it's a viable option. Whether it's all worth the hassle though? 🤷

If using Wi-Fi 7 on Windows, you also want to be running a recent build of Windows 11 (24H2) as 'proper' support was only introduced fairly recently.

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

dazzlr — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 10:45:56 GMT

I see. Thanks!

Wi-Fi 6 and 7 is able to offer significant improvements in speed, capacity, and efficiency in certain situations.
The actual benefits you experience would very much vary base on many different factors. Its complex!
So upgrading could be worthwhile, but if your current setup meets your needs the upgrade might not provide a noticeable improvement.

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

dazzlr — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 10:51:04 GMT

p.s. very useful set of tools https://www.wiisfi.com/#tools

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

JimM11 — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 11:36:47 GMT

@dazzlr Glad the info was off help, there are 2 parts local/external for network, with a 300/500mbs pipe you are not going any faster...

WiFi 5 covers it all.

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

dazzlr — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:20:38 GMT

OK So, first of all, many thanks to the contributors, especially. @Jim & @Bob

I reviewed my PC device settings using the tools already mentioned on this website https://www.wiisfi.com/#tools WI.BAT -- Display "Wi-Fi Information

.. and it turns out my USB2 Wi-Fi adapter was on the 2.4 GHz channel. This is often better for longer ranges, but since I am fairly close to the router, I switched to the 5 GHz channel (IEEE 802.ac) and noticed an immediate speed increase. I obviously now feel a bit of a chump for never even checking this setting after I plugged in my USB Wi-Fi adapter ages ago.

I am now receiving 150 megabits per second over WiFi to my PC which is the maximum supplied by my fibre connection. If I upgrade my fibre connection to 300 or 500 then in theory this should also be reflected on my PC.

I have parked the idea of upgrading my router to Wi-Fi 6 or 7 for now since I will probably only see the benefit on mobile devices such as iPhones, but they already work fine already so not going to mess with that.

p.s. the reason I chose WiFi over wired connection is that I mirror devices like my iPad onto my PC for training and demos and WiFi makes this easy.

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

JimM11 — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 14:45:56 GMT

@dazzlr It's just one off those things, learning curve and sometimes just asking someone else get's it out off the hole.

Now with the tools, fresh insight and all the information you are gathering just keep your eye and focus for what you need best.👍

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

dazzlr — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:30:49 GMT

25/04/25

FYI just called BT

As mentioned am out of contract and was looking to upgrade and keep the price down. Since BT are moving their consumer products to EE was expecting to be ported over, and sure enough the product I was offered was EE 308 GHz for £31.99 for 12 months rising to £34.99 after 12 months and then a lot more after the 24 month deal.

Clearly this post is only relevant at the time of posting since prices change all the time.

I was hoping they may offer an EE Wifi 6E hub in with the deal but no-go I keep my BT Hub 2.

Upgrade in speed happens in a few days with 14 day cooling off period so will see how it goes!

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

Mustrum — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 19:34:29 GMT

@dazzlr alas EE do not offer a WiFi6E router, but seems you got a decent price for the upgrade in speeds.

If you do not already have them, perhaps the BT WiFi extenders may help improve your coverage around your property?

Some more things to catch up on with your bedtime reading - or a secondhand WiFi5 third party mesh system - there are lots going cheap as people upgrade to WiFi6/7 that they dod not need. Just a thought..

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

JimM11 — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 19:52:49 GMT

@dazzlr Moving along in the right direction then, the BT Smarthub2 is way good on the FF300 feed, but you can start saving towards your needs, looking at what you want to do, lets hope BT/EE don't stuff up your service... And good advice from @Mustrum good home in need off a free Complete Wireless setup gladly accepted, go for it...

Re: WiFi 6 or 7 adapter for PC/Laptop/MacBook

XRaySpeX — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 00:13:57 GMT

@dazzlr wrote:

I was offered was EE 308 GHz for £31.99 for 12 months

You mean EE Full Fibre 300 Megs! GHz is for WiFi not BB.