Comprehensive guide to Wi-Fi generations 802.11n through 802.11bn, arguing your client device’s 2x2 MIMO limit matters more than router generation.
Key Takeaways
Nearly all routers in the same Wi-Fi generation deliver the same max PHY speed to a 2x2 MIMO client; the real differentiator is at-range performance via DFS and beamforming.
Wi-Fi 6 with 80 MHz channel tops out around 1,000 Mbps throughput for 2x2 clients; 160 MHz channels push closer to 1,900 Mbps.
Speed gains across generations come from wider channels, more MIMO streams, and higher MCS (up to 4096-QAM in Wi-Fi 7), not modulation alone.
Wired access points are recommended over mesh or range extenders; a mid-range Wi-Fi 6 router with 4x4 MIMO, HE160, and all DFS channels is the current sweet spot.
Wi-Fi signal degrades multiplicatively with distance (roughly x2 per MCS step), meaning proximity to an AP dominates throughput far more than router generation.
Hacker News Comment Review
Commenters flagged a key omission: the article underplays Wi-Fi’s shared-medium contention, where neighbor APs on the same channel compete for airtime without deterministic collision avoidance.
There is debate on whether the “exponential” signal-decay framing is accurate; commenters clarified the table uses SNR-as-proxy-for-distance, not a strict inverse-square-law claim.
Practical hardware discussion favored 4x4 MIMO APs (Zyxel NWA210BE, Grandstream GWN7615) over upgrading router generation, consistent with the article’s own recommendation.
Notable Comments
@Normal_gaussian: Switching from UniFi 6+ to a 4x4 MIMO Zyxel NWA210BE eliminated Wi-Fi/4G contention in his car outside the house; calls 4x4 “all the difference.”
@KingMachiavelli: Asks why post-AC generations release faster yet deliver near-zero real-world improvement, a critique the article’s own data on marginal MCS gains partially supports.