Why Wi-Fi 7 finally makes sense

When you sign up for a fast internet plan over 1Gbps, you'll want a Wi-Fi solution that keeps up with those speeds. High-end Wi-Fi 6 routers support connections over 2Gbps. However, if they have anything but a perfect signal, those speeds tumble. Wi-Fi 7, also known as 802.11BE, is a big leap from Wi-Fi 6 and offers up to 5.8Gbps link speed between a Wi-Fi 7-equipped router and a PC. If you're looking for Wi-Fi that keeps up with a fast 5Gbps or faster internet connection, it must be Wi-Fi 7.

Do cheap Wi-Fi 7 routers make sense yet?

Wi-Fi 7 is finally affordable

The latest version of any technology can be expensive. However, Wi-Fi 7 has been around long enough that there is plenty of competition and a selection of routers from cheap models under $150 to high-end mesh systems over $1,000. Those expensive kits are overkill for even the heaviest users with multiple 10Gbps Ethernet ports, fiber support, and multiple mesh nodes.

Something like the TP-Link Archer BE3600or the Netgear Nighthawk RS300, both with BE9300 tri-band connections, are about the right fit for most multi-gig home users. These routers retail at around $300 MSRP but can often be found on sale. If you have several devices, you can get a faster Wi-Fi 7 router with up to four bands. Still, a fast Wi-Fi 6 router is good enough for most users, even heavy users, and Wi-Fi 7 is icing on the cake.

If you have a few devices or only one or two people use the network at any time, you could get away with a cheaper router. You still get some benefits besides speed, like moving to WPA3 security and getting software updates for longer. For most people, picking a Wi-Fi 7 router means something with a little more speed, like the TP-Link Archer BE800.

Will internet providers upgrade to Wi-Fi 7?

ISPs are getting Wi-Fi 7 upgrades ready for their next-generation speeds

If you don't want to worry about Wi-Fi tech specs or setting up your router, ISPs are gearing up to offer WI-Fi 7 routers to customers using their fastest plans, but most still only offer Wi-Fi 6. AT&T, for example, announced that it's working on a Wi-Fi 7 solution that it aims to release by the end of the year. Similarly, Xfinity has shown off its next-generation gateway, the XB10, with Wi-Fi 7 and DOCSIS 4.0 support, but hasn't provided a solid release date other than by the end of the year. GFiber (Google Fiber) also demonstrated Wi-Fi 7 with a 20Gbps service test but doesn't have a product for current fiber customers.

Where the big carriers are getting bound up in red tape, approvals, and network upgrades, smaller fiber providers Metronet and Frontier have Wi-Fi 7 solutions ready. These fiber providers use the Eero for Service Providers solution, giving customers Eero routers instead of a custom design. Frontier offers Eero Max 7, a high-end Wi-Fi 7 router, for its 5Gbps service and two routers for its 7Gbps service. Similarly, Metronet offers an Eero Max 7 upgrade from a cheaper Eero with its 2Gbps and 5Gbps plans.

It's worth pointing out that Verizon is purchasing Frontier to be integrated with Fios because Verizon lacks a Wi-Fi 7 router. T-Mobile is acquiring Metronet because T-Mobile doesn't have a Wi-Fi 7 solution.

Is our hardware ready for Wi-Fi 7?

Phones, desktops, and laptops are ready for Wi-Fi 7

While Wi-Fi 7 routers have been around since early 2023, Wi-Fi Certified 7 came about in early 2024. Certification isn't necessary to build a Wi-Fi 7 router, but it ensures the router supports the advanced features the new technology brings. New tech like this is a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem with devices, but in this case, the chicken came first with Wi-Fi 7 routers, followed by Android phones with Wi-Fi 7, like the OnePlus 11, before Wi-Fi modules for laptops and desktops came to market.

You can get a PC with a Qualcomm QCNCM865, MediaTek MT7927, or an Intel BE200, which support 320MHz bands. Wi-Fi 7's top speeds use 6GHz frequencies, so moving to Wi-Fi 7 can help you avoid congestion if you're in an apartment building or have close neighbors.

Some Android phones have Wi-Fi 7 onboard. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra launched with Wi-Fi 7. The smaller S24 and S24 Plus have Wi-Fi 6E. All the Google Pixel 9 series phones support Wi-Fi 7. Other high-end phones, like the OnePlus 12, OnePlus 12R, Zenfone 11 Ultra, ROG Phone 8, and the Moto Razr+ 2024, support Wi-Fi 7. Apple's latest iPhone 16 series is also ready for Wi-Fi 7. Still, you may not notice much of a speed difference on your phone, but the move to WPA3 and better congestion mitigation could be worth it.

The hardware is ready, but are we?

Can the average user even put all that power to use?

When it comes down to it, most of us don't need Wi-Fi 7's upgraded speeds compared to Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 6, at its best, is fast enough for gigabit speeds, and gigabit internet is faster than most of us need. However, there's more to a new router than Wi-Fi speed. You'll see other benefits with the powerful new chips in Wi-Fi 7 routers.

When it comes down to it, most of us don't need Wi-Fi 7's upgraded speeds compared to Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 6, at its best, is fast enough for gigabit speeds, and gigabit internet is faster than most of us need.

One place routers have been expanding is in software features. Eero has Eero Plus, Netgear has Netgear Armor, and TP-Link has HomeShield. These packages come with extra security features, monitoring, and support that aren't possible on older routers. Running a VPN on a home router is another popular feature that requires a lot of power. While a low-end router works with a VPN, you'll give up speed, which defeats the purpose of a new router.

These routers are also powerful enough to keep up with the demand of many devices that don't necessarily need a ton of bandwidth but need a constant connection, like smart home tech. Since Wi-Fi 7 routers support 6GHz frequencies, they avoid some of the interference from older devices using 2.4GHz and 5GHz, with the most important devices using the relatively empty 6GHz spectrum. If you have a fast storage server and want your router to support multi-gig Ethernet speeds, especially transferring from Wi-Fi, you'll want a router with plenty of power.

Wi-Fi 7 is key to multi-gig internet speeds, but there's no rush

While most people don't need Wi-Fi 7, it's an improvement over Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. If you're looking for Wi-Fi that can keep up with multi-gig speeds, Wi-Fi 7 is the way to go, and you'll find several phones that support Wi-Fi 7 . If you're only doing light work on Wi-Fi, like browsing the web and streaming, and you already have Wi-Fi 6 or newer, there isn't much reason to rush into Wi-Fi 7.