How to Achieve Your Highest WiFi Speed — WiFi 4 (past), 5 (now), 6 (future) explained
This is my home setup and relevant information.
Location: Hong Kong
ISP (Internet Service Provider): HKBN (Hong Kong Broadband Network)
Combined modem + router box: HKBN vtech AC2350
Fibre broadband service: 2 Gbps download + 1 Gbps upload (by highspeed gigabit internet cable)
My device: Late 2013 15-inch MacBook Pro
Network card: 6th generation AirPort Extreme A1521 with Broadcom BCM43xx supporting 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac PHY mode and dual band (*does not support WiFi 6)
Jump to bottom to see conclusion.
My typical internet download speed based on WiFi is between 200 to 500 Mbps.
However due to both my router and device support 5G technology. (WiFi 5=802.11ac in 5.8 GHz band, WiFi4=802.11n in 2.4GHz band, WiFi6=802.11ax in 5.8 GHz band) I was still not able to get anywhere close to 1 Gbps speed using WiFi considering the transmission interference.
After some researching, I found WiFi 5 802.11ac is only 1.3Gbps if you have three antennas, because how the MU-MIMO (multiple user-multiple in multiple out) is setup in the router and local device currently. MIMO is a more efficient way to transmit and receive signals at the same frequency for different directionals hence increasing throughput. Most Wi-Fi adapters on client devices are single antenna solutions, meaning they’re only good for about 430Mbps. For example on my MacBook with six generation airport extreme wifi card, one antenna is for 2.4 Ghz band, one for 5.8 Ghz band, and third one for bluetooth. Even they can be used in both transmitting and receving the signals, it really depends on how the MIMO system and radio chain is setup. (I am not too familiar with that) As far as I know the router for HKBN only supports WiFi 5, meaning MIMO on the 5Hz band only.
In the future when WiFi 6 is commercialized around end of 2020, we will just need to update our router to double or triple our internet speed if your device already supports dual band and WiFi 6. (Scroll backup to see how to check) Other benefits of WiFi 6 are explained here: https://www.networkworld.com/article/3256905/13-things-you-need-to-know-about-mu-mimo-wi-fi.html
Also this is a very good website for general internet troubleshooting: https://www.speedcheck.org
In summary, when ISP approaches your to upgrade to Gigabit broadband serice. Make sure 1. Your device supports dual band and WiFi 6 (802.11ax) 2. If your ISP will provide you with a WiFi 6 router. Otherwise you can only enjoy about one third to half of the 1Gb service without the need to use special ethernet cables.
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