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Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

Dstrouse
Tutor

Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

Does anyone know if the RAX120 will be able to be updated to the new WiFi6e standard?

Model: RAX120|Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream WiFi Router
Message 1 of 15
plemans
Guru

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

Netgear hasn't released any info on upcoming 6E devices. 

And the change is a hardware change. So they can't just "update the firmware" on the RAX120 to support it. Not sure if thats what you're implying but I've seen it asked on here. 

Message 2 of 15
Dan32
Apprentice

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

Technically, even if any Wifi6 router radio supports 6E, you would really need a seperate radio for the 6ghz band.  Therefore expect to see 6E routers at a minimum, as tri-band routers.  I doubt even existing tri-band routers (with a supporting radio) would give up any one radio to switch support for it to 6GHZ.

Message 3 of 15
avtella
Prodigy

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

Even with 6E capable radios on some current routers, the rf chips aren't 6E capable so you still need hardware updates, not something software can fix.

Message 4 of 15
Eric_XOX
Aspirant

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

Did you know that RAX120 even failed the Wifi 6 certification?
Model: RAX120|Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream WiFi Router
Message 5 of 15
schumaku
Guru

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard


@Eric_XOX wrote:
Did you know that RAX120 even failed the Wifi 6 certification?

Source, references, links?

 

RAX80 and RAX120 were released long before the WiFi 6 certification requirements were fixed. Many device makers don't submit their devices for the certification. Also, many relatively early released chipsets might not have the last bells and whistles to pass. Not uncommon with pre-standard devices. 

 

 

Message 6 of 15
Eric_XOX
Aspirant

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

Message 7 of 15
schumaku
Guru

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard


@Eric_XOX wrote:
http://certifications.prod.wi-fi.org/pdf/certificate/public/download?cid=WFA79402

WFA79402 was issued (Date of Last Certification November 20, 2018) almost one year before the Wi-Fi 6 certification program became available.

 

"Austin, Texas, - September 16, 2019 – The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6™ certification program from Wi-Fi Alliance® is now available and delivers the best user experience with devices based on IEEE 802.11ax. .."

 

Source: Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6™ delivers new Wi-Fi® era 

 

 

Message 8 of 15
Eric_XOX
Aspirant

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-Routers-with-WiFi-6-AX/RAX120-is-dead-does-NOT-fully-supp...

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-Routers-with-WiFi-6-AX/RAX120-UL-OFDMA/m-p/1958111

I understand what you mean. As mentioned in the above two articles, I think RAX120 can’t even provide the complete functions of wifi 6. Some people are asking if it can be upgraded to 6E. I think it’s ridiculous.
Message 9 of 15
schumaku
Guru

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

Why always being negative?

 

Todays WiFi radio modules or chipsets are widely software defined. Means there is microcode/embedded firmware which is uploaded from the host on Windows for example these binaries as part of the driver.

 

What was correct at the time of @duckware (hello my friend - highly appreciate your work on Duckware - Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E (802.11 n/ac/ax) - a very useful repository for explaining Wi-Fi!) posting - and correctly documented on the Product Datasheet back then - is most likely no longer an issue today on these Wi-Fi 6 router models.

 

The limitations are no longer mentioned on the current data sheets (current always via https://netgear.com/support -> e.g RAX80 -> Documentation -> Product Data Sheet), so we can safely assume that the capabilities are implemented now.

 

All this does not make it completely impossible that an extension to the 6e band might be feasible.

Message 10 of 15
Eric_XOX
Aspirant

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

https://www.netgear.com/support/download/

Unfortunately, there are still restrictions. This description originally only exists in the DATA Sheet of RAX120. RAX80 or RAX200 will not have it.
Message 11 of 15
Eric_XOX
Aspirant

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

 
Message 12 of 15
schumaku
Guru

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

Only time will tell - different chipset makers, RAX80 and RAX200 are Broadcom based, RAX120 Qualcomm Atheros.

Message 13 of 15
dcinca
Apprentice

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard

Rax120 is not Wifi6 certified yet. 

Message 14 of 15
schumaku
Guru

Re: Upgrade to WiFi6e standard


@dcinca wrote:

Rax120 is not Wifi6 certified yet. 


There is no need, unless the vendor want to make use of certain labels/badges/tags with their products.

 

How many "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6™" Netgear products can you find on the wi-fi.org site? 

Message 15 of 15
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