the General rule is that All manufacturers advertise their Wi-Fi data rates with the so-called gross data. This is basically comparable with the speeds of the Internet access or mobile phone network – just that they can theoretically achieve. The Wi-Fi, however, you have technically no Chance, the advertised gross data rates as a net data rate, in practice, on your computer or Smartphone.

The gross data rates also contain control and management data. This so-called Overhead Traffic is needed for the operation of the Wi-Fi network. That is, the data to be transmitted, the frequencies assigned. However, practically you can't use the data rates. So that means if a manufacturer advertises a Wi-Fi speed of 1733 Mbit/s, or 1.7 Gbit/s, you will never be able to measure this data rate in a Speedtest. In the specific example, your measured value with a maximum of 860 MB/s.

What is the wireless speed?

Generally, in practice, usable Wi-Fi access is determined at the rate of three technical things:

• Wi-Fi
• The number of data streams
• The used channel bandwidth

the Important thing is always the Interplay between the Router and the device. It brings you nothing, if you have a high-end Router, but a cheap Smartphone with a several-year-old Wi-Fi Chip run. Conversely, the same applies: The best high-end computer will get you nowhere, if the wireless Router is no good. But what you have to pay attention now? We explain it to you. The right Wi-Fi Standard, you Know, terms like Wi-Fi 802.11 n or Wi-Fi 802.11 b? Then you know already quite well. For many users of these Standards, however, were too complicated. Therefore, it was agreed to simplify the Wi-Fi Standards in particular. Three Main Standards are still playing a role: Wi-Fi N (also called Wi-Fi 4), and Wi-Fi AC (or WLAN 5), as well as the new wireless AX (or Wi-Fi, 6). There are other Standards that we can at this point, but except eight.

Generally speaking, The Standards are backward compatible. That is to say: A Router with Wi-Fi 6 may also provide end devices with Wi-Fi, 4 or 5 with data and Wi-Fi 6-cell phone can log on to a wireless 4 Router. However, "loses" the Transfer of the Features of the better Standards – that is, The Transmission is slower. The data streams Maybe you have heard the term MiMo. The abbreviation stands for Multiple Input, Multiple Output. Very non-technical described this means that a coding method according to the variant of multiple data streams on the same frequency and in part on a plurality of antennas to be sent. Thus, there is between the Router and the device multiple Connections simultaneously, which increases the data rate. The latest devices support MU-MIMO, which is a Multi-User Mimo. Here, the Router sends data simultaneously to multiple devices in the network, which increases the efficiency, especially if many devices generate a lot of Traffic. The channel bandwidth In Wi-Fi you always speaks from the 2.4 and the 5 GHz Band as a frequency. However, within these frequencies, there are multiple channels. This means that there is in the 2.4 GHz Band, a spectrum of 60 MHz and in the 5 GHz Band, a total of 340 MHz. Wireless Router can consume up to 160 MHz of it. The wider the occupied spectrum, the higher the data rate. However, only if the device supports this, brings you to the high data rates. Is specified, the range in the technical specifications as HE160 for 160 MHz, HE80 for 80 MHz and so on. The difference in practice can be striking. Your neighbors is another factor, how fast is your Wi-Fi is available at the end, are also your neighbors. Because Wi-Fi is a Shared Medium. You share not your Wi-Fi with your neighbors, but the frequencies. And if your neighbors already send a lot of data traffic over the air to your Router less capacity. Read more we have compiled a detailed guide. Last but not least, the actually usable data rate decreases with increasing distance from the Router.

theory and practice: The supplies your Wi-Fi really

data source: AVM

How can I find out how fast my Wi-Fi is?

A little Know how to you know how quickly the combination of the Router and the device really is. The easiest way to do it, if you, for example, uses a FritzBox from AVM as a Router. In the current versions of the operating software you see in the Wi-Fi settings, with what parameters your device straight to your Router is connected to.

Here you can change the WLAN Standard, the channel bandwidth, the number of data streams, and further parameters like the frequency band and Multi-User read MiMo. A data rate is the Fritzbox. It is the gross data date.

On your Windows PC you can access in the settings of the network status. Under "Status" and the properties you will see the connection parameters.

On the Smartphone you can, for example, the Fritz!App Wi-Fi install. She is from AVM, but also works with other wireless routers. It also shows the gross data rate. With the function "Wi-Fi fairs" you investigate, however, how powerful the connection really is.

This article was written by Thorsten Neuhetzki

*The contribution of "sham-Fi: So slow your Wi-Fi Router is really" will be released by Inside Digital. Contact with the executives here.

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Date Of Update: 31 May 2020, 01:26