What is WiFi 7 and How Does It Work?

WiFi 7 CONNECT BEYOND SPEEDS

What is WiFi 7*?

WiFi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) is the seventh generation of the 802.11 standard since 1997. It packs all the benefits of WiFi 6/6E and expands several existing standards to a whole new level, such as 320 MHz bandwidth and 4K-QAM. And it introduces some revolutionary features like Multi-Link Operation, Multi-Resource Units (MRU) and Puncturing. As WiFi has become indispensable in daily life from work to home, WiFi 7 reshapes your WiFi experiences with a huge leap into the future.
*This page explains the technical standards of WiFi 7 technology. Actual specifications and feature availability vary based on device. Please refer to the product specifications page for your device.

*Compared to WiFi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax)

How Does WiFi 7 Work*?

320 MHz Bandwidth*

While WiFi 6E increased channel width in the 6 GHz band to 160 MHz, WiFi 7 introduces ultrawide 320 MHz channels, doubling data transmission capacity. You can think of networking as a virtual freeway and the doubled bandwidth as a doubling of the number of lanes. Now larger vehicles are allowed to get on the freeway and can pack more data than ever before.

*WiFi 7 features requires WiFi routers and client devices with WiFi 7-supported operating systems to support the corresponding features. **The 320 MHz in the 6 GHz band may be unavailable in some regions / countries due to regulatory restrictions.

A comparison illustration between 320 MHz, 160 MHz and 80 MHz

4K-QAM

With the introduction of 4K-QAM, WiFi 7 can improve data transmission rates versus WiFi 6/6E by up to 20%, because a higher QAM can pack signals more densely. Continuing with the freeway analogy, now higher QAM permits more merchandise to be loaded into every vehicle. In other words, you can now upload and download more data in the same timeframe as before.

A comparison illustration between 4096 QAM of WiFi 7 and 1024QAM of WiFi 6

Multi-Link Operation (MLO)

Before WiFi 7, transmissions were limited to one band, such as 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Multi-Link Operation (MLO) allows a device to simultaneously connect on multiple bands, enabling faster speeds by aggregating bandwidth, with more reliable WiFi connections on multiple concurrently used bands.

*Multi-link Operation (MLO) full function support may be ready for the Windows 11 2024 Platform (Windows 11 24H2) or made available at a later date.

A comparison illustration showing the benefits of Multi-Link Operation

Multi-Resource Units (MRU) and Puncturing

In WiFi 6, the spectrum resource could be wasted if the channel encounters signal interference. With Multi-RU and Puncturing, WiFi 7 devices will be able to take full advantage of the remaining part of the channels that is not being used or interrupted. This way, the WiFi bandwidth can be used efficiently to make data transmission quicker and more reliable.

*Multi-Resource Units (MRU) and Puncturing available in 2024 or later.

A comparison illustration showing the benefits of Multi-RU and Puncturing.

16x16 MU-MIMO*

MU-MIMO (Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) supports multiple users to transmit and receive data simultaneously. With 16x16 MU-MIMO, WiFi 7 doubles the number of spatial streams compared to WiFi 6 and increases network capacity. Now, more WiFi devices that need more network capacity can perform smoothly at the same time.

*Although 16x16 MU-MUMO is the maximum technical standard of WiFi 7, it is not a mandatory feature for all WiFi 7 devices.

A router is communicating with 16 devices simultaneously though 16x16 MU-MIMO technology

Do I Need WiFi 7?

WiFi 7 for Gaming

WiFi 7 delivers ultra-fast WiFi speeds and extremely low latency that can get you competitive in any online battlefield, whether it’s cloud gaming, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), or mixed reality (MR).

WiFi 7 for Smart Homes

With up to 5x more capacity, less interference and less congestion versus previous WiFi generations, you can enjoy unparalleled smart home experiences, from reliably smooth 8K video streaming to more intelligent smart home devices.

WiFi 7 for industrial 4.0 scenario with a man operating an IOT device in the factory

WiFi 7 for Industry 4.0

Millions of industrial IOT devices are driving a revolution in the way the world manufactures and distributes its products, and ASUS WiFi 7 devices can empower these systems to reach new heights.

A man is drawing a chart to show business growth

WiFi 7 for Businesses

If your business operates in the areas of gaming, smart homes, or smart manufacturing -- such as VR content creation or industrial IOT engineering – a WiFi 7 infrastructure can prepare you for growth when the next big thing arrives.

WiFi 7 vs. WiFi 6/6E vs. WiFi 5

	WiFi 7	WiFi 6E	WiFi 6	WiFi 5
IEEE	802.11be	802.11ax		802.11ac
Max data rate	46 Gbps	9.6 Gbps		3.5 Gbps
Bands	2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz	2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz	2.4GHz, 5GHz	5GHz
Bandwidth	Up to 320 MHz	20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 80+80 MHz, 160 MHz
Modulation	4096-QAM	1024-QAM OFDMA		256-QAM OFDM
MIMO	16x16 MU-MIMO	8x8 MU-MIMO		4x4 MU MIMO
RU	Multi-RUs	RU		N/A
Security	WPA3	WPA3		WPA2

Future-proof Your Network with WiFi 7

ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro
- 30 Gbps
- 2.4 GHz BE:4x4 + 5 GHz BE:4x4 + 6 GHz-1 BE:4x4 + 6 GHz-2 BE:4x4
- 10 Gbps ports x 2; 2.5 Gbps ports x 4
- Gaming features: Triple-level game acceleration, Mobile game mode, Open NAT, VPN fusion
- Subscription-free Network Security: Security Scan, AiProtection Pro, Site-to-Site VPN
- ASUS features: AURA RGB, AiMesh
Learn more
ROG Rapture GT-BE98
- 25 Gbps
- 2.4 GHz BE:4x4 + 5 GHz-1 BE:4x4 + 5 GHz-2 BE:4x4 + 6 GHz BE:4x4
- 10 Gbps ports x 2; 2.5 Gbps ports x 4
- Gaming features: Triple-level game acceleration, Mobile game mode, Open NAT, VPN fusion
- Subscription-free Network Security: Security Scan, AiProtection Pro, Site-to-Site VPN
- ASUS features: AURA RGB, AiMesh
Learn more
ASUS RT-BE96U
- 19 Gbps
- 2.4 GHz BE:4x4 + 5 GHz BE:4x4 + 6 GHz BE:4x4
- 10 Gbps ports x 2
- Subscription-free Network Security: Security Scan, AiProtection Pro, Site-to-Site VPN
- ASUS features: AiMesh
Learn more

* Actual data throughput and WiFi coverage will vary from network conditions and environmental factors, including the volume of network traffic, building material and construction, and network overhead, result in lower actual data throughput and wireless coverage.

WiFi 7 CONNECT BEYOND SPEEDS

What is WiFi 7*?

4.8XFaster*

5XCapacity*

Ultra-lowLatency