Upgrading to Wi-Fi 7: What You Really Need to Know

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/upgrading-wi-fi-7-what-you-really-need-know-jarryd-de-oliveira-qaune

Wi-Fi 7 isn’t just another wireless standard. It’s a leap forward, offering serious gains in throughput, reduced latency, better spectrum use, and smarter reliability. But as with every new generation of wireless, getting the benefits isn’t as simple as swapping out your access points and calling it a day.

In this post, I want to break it down in plain terms. What Wi-Fi 7 really is. What makes it different. And how to approach upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 the right way, without the fluff, vendor marketing noise, or unnecessary overspending.

What is Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), and Why Should You Care?

Wi-Fi 7 builds on the improvements from Wi-Fi 6/6E and adds some serious enhancements:

Multi-Link Operation (MLO): Devices can now transmit on multiple bands (e.g., 5GHz and 6GHz) simultaneously. This means better reliability, throughput, and load balancing.
4K QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation): This pushes data rates even higher, think more efficiency in the same airspace.
320 MHz Channel Support: Huge channels, if your regulatory domain allows it. Great for ultra-high-throughput applications.
Spectrum Puncturing: APs can dynamically drop noisy parts of the spectrum and continue transmitting on the clean portions, ideal in congested environments.
Mandatory WPA3: Improved security is baked in, especially for 6GHz operation.

This is not just about theoretical speed. It's about giving your network the flexibility and resilience to handle AI workloads, AR/VR training environments, robotics, or just plain old Zoom calls, all without bottlenecks.

The 6 GHz Band – Not Just a New Frequency, A New Era

If you're in the UK or Europe, 6 GHz spectrum is partially available (typically 500 MHz), but even that opens the door to clean airspace away from the congested 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. In countries with full 6 GHz adoption (like the US), you get up to 59 non-overlapping 20 MHz channels. That’s huge for reducing co-channel interference and supporting dense deployments.

But keep in mind: 6 GHz operation requires WPA3 and newer client devices. Your existing fleet won’t be using that spectrum unless you’re actively refreshing endpoint hardware.

What’s Needed to Be “Fully” Wi-Fi 7 Ready?

Here’s what actually needs upgrading, not just the APs:

Access Points: Native support for Wi-Fi 7, ideally tri-band (2.4/5/6 GHz) with MLO and spectrum puncturing support.
Switching: Multigigabit (2.5G/5G/10G) PoE++ switches, especially where APs draw 30–51W.
Cabling: Cat6a or better. Cat5e isn’t going to cut it anymore, not for PoE++, not for throughput.
Firewalls/Routers: Can your edge handle multi-gigabit WAN and internal traffic? If not, it’ll be your new bottleneck.
Client Devices: Phones, tablets, laptops, they need 802.11be chipsets to access 6GHz and MLO.
Survey Tools: You’ll want tools like Ekahau Sidekick 2 to model performance in the 6 GHz band and validate deployments.

Considerations Before Jumping In

Legacy Devices Still Matter: Many IoT or industrial devices remain stuck on 2.4GHz. Design your network to support them while offloading newer clients to 6GHz.
Not All Regions Are Equal: Know your local spectrum regulations. EU markets typically don’t allow full 320 MHz channels.
Power Budgeting Is Key: A fully-featured Wi-Fi 7 AP might need PoE++ (802.3bt). Make sure your infrastructure supports it or you’ll end up with downgraded features.
Network Bottlenecks Don't Disappear: Wi-Fi 7 won’t solve poor ISP speeds, underpowered firewalls, or congested uplinks.
Design Matters More Than Ever: Blindly replacing APs doesn’t work. Use heatmaps, predictive models, and surveys to plan your deployment, especially if your layout has changed post-COVID.

Why Upgrade at All?

You don’t upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 because it’s shiny and new. You upgrade because your current network is struggling with demand and you want to future-proof it. Whether it's for robotics in logistics, AR training in healthcare, or smoother hybrid meetings in corporate environments, Wi-Fi 7 gives you the headroom to grow.

Final Thoughts

Wi-Fi 7 is a major step forward, but only if you approach it with a strategy. Walk your network, understand your environment, and plan the upgrade like it’s a new build. Treat cabling, switching, power, and validation with as much importance as the APs themselves.

Don’t rush it, but don’t wait too long either, especially if you’re already seeing performance or capacity issues. Wi-Fi 7 isn’t just about speed. It’s about creating a smarter, more resilient wireless network that works for the next 5–10 years.