Want faster gadgets? With Wi-Fi 6 now in widespread use, a world expert advises businesses and schools to think before switching

Dan Jones of Maven said the latest Wi-Fi (version 6) could be a game-changer for packing tremendous speeds but said it is mostly bigger businesses and venues that could benefit.

Wi-Fi 6 could potentially be much faster than Wi-Fi 5, enabling lots of gadgets to work at the same time at high speed.

But he has urged business and school leaders to get a Wi-Fi consultation from experts before embarking on a Wi-Fi revolution in their organisation – as they may spend vast sums of money with little benefit.

Dan, who lectures to audiences worldwide on Wi-Fi and Apple, said: “If you’re in a high-density environment with lots of new devices then you might be one of the few places that would benefit with Wi-Fi 6 now. 

“It’s likely you’re one of the few places that can afford it too! It will currently be very costly to switch.”

Dan said: “So what does Wi-Fi promise us? This isn’t an exhaustive list, but the marketing teams like to tout benefits of speed, better security, more devices and allowing Wi-Fi to talk to more than one device at a time and enable clients to talk back too.

“But before you get a new Wi-Fi box, remember you will also need new devices. Not just one or two… this is a rough estimate, but at least 40-50% need to be new.

“That includes everything from the TV, tablet, smart lights, smart fridge, phones, smart hoover, the doorbell… and everything else.

“Apple has only just added Wi-Fi 6 to its latest machines, but they still sell a lot of devices that still have Wi-Fi 5. So even if all those claims about Wi-Fi 6 are true, you need to wait until your space (home or office) is filled with devices that can take advantage of it.”

Dan advises business and school leaders to do a wireless survey before installing the new Wi-Fi.

He said: “If you have an office space, you need to get a professional to do a wireless survey and adjust your existing equipment to work to the best of its ability. 

“They would soon be able to tell you if you NEED to upgrade. Look for someone who uses the right equipment (Ekahausidekick and Ekahau Pro) and has some form of certification – this is the only way to differentiate between someone whos has ‘done Wi-Fi before’ from someone who knows how Wi-Fi works).”

For a free consultation with Dan, contact him at d.jones@mvnc.uk