Comparative Performance Analysis of Network Throughput for Wi-Fi6 and Wi-Fi5

Abstract :

Wi-Fi 6, designated as the IEEE 802.11ax protocol, represents the latest generation of Wi-Fi standards, offering significantly higher throughput than its predecessor, IEEE 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5). Both standards incorporate substantial physical (PHY) layer advancements, such as increased channel bandwidths and Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) technology. However, while Wi Fi 5 supports MU-MIMO only in the downlink, Wi-Fi 6 extends support to both uplink and downlink communications. Additionally, Wi-Fi 6 adopts Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) to enhance spectral efficiency, enabling improved throughput in dense network environments. The introduction of higher Modulation and Coding Schemes (MCS 10 and 11) further increases data rates. In this study, network simulations were conducted using NS-3, revealing that Wi-Fi 6 can deliver a substantial improvement in system performance compared to Wi-Fi 5.