Is WiFi 6 Worth It in 2026? WiFi 5 vs WiFi 6 Explained
If your home internet feels slow, drops out, or struggles when everyone is online at once, the issue often isn’t your NBN plan. In many cases, it’s your Wi-Fi.
Most Australian homes are still running on Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) hardware. Newer routers and mesh systems use Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which was designed specifically for modern homes with lots of connected devices. The difference isn’t just about speed. It’s about stability, latency, and how your network behaves under load.
Below is a practical breakdown of Wi-Fi 5 vs Wi-Fi 6, and why upgrading can make a noticeable difference even if your internet speed stays the same.
Lower Latency and Better Ping
One of the biggest real-world improvements with Wi-Fi 6 is lower and more consistent latency.
Wi-Fi 5 networks tend to queue devices one at a time, which can cause spikes in ping when multiple phones, TVs, laptops, and smart devices are active. Wi-Fi 6 introduces technologies like OFDMA, which allows the router to communicate with multiple devices at the same time instead of taking turns.
In practice, this can mean:
10–30% lower average latency in busy households
Fewer ping spikes during video calls and gaming
Less stuttering during live TV streaming and screen sharing
This is especially noticeable for applications that can’t buffer, such as Zoom, Teams, FaceTime, gaming, and live sports streaming.
Much Better Performance with Many Devices
Wi-Fi 5 works well when only a few devices are connected. The problem is that most homes now have 20–40 devices on the network once you include phones, tablets, TVs, speakers, lights, cameras, and appliances.
Wi-Fi 6 was designed for exactly this scenario.
Key improvements include:
Up to 4× better efficiency in high-device environments
Reduced slowdowns when multiple people are streaming at once
More stable speeds across the whole house, not just near the router
Instead of one device slowing everything down, Wi-Fi 6 spreads bandwidth more intelligently across all devices.
Improved Battery Life for Phones and Laptops
This is one of the most overlooked benefits of Wi-Fi 6.
Wi-Fi 6 introduces Target Wake Time (TWT), which allows devices to schedule when they wake up to send or receive data. Instead of constantly checking in with the router, devices can sleep longer between transmissions.
Real-world benefits include:
Around 10–20% longer battery life on phones and laptops connected to Wi-Fi 6
Less background power drain for smart devices
Reduced heat and idle power usage on mobile devices
Over time, this also reduces wear on batteries.
Faster Speeds Where It Actually Matters
While Wi-Fi 6 does offer higher theoretical speeds, the more important improvement is real-world throughput.
Wi-Fi 6 performs better through walls, floors, and interference compared to Wi-Fi 5, especially when paired with a mesh system. This means:
Faster speeds in bedrooms and back rooms
More usable Wi-Fi in double-storey homes
Better coverage outdoors and in garages
Even on a modest NBN plan, upgrading from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6 often results in noticeably faster and more consistent speeds around the home.
Wi-Fi 5 vs Wi-Fi 6 Summary
Wi-Fi 6 is not just a speed upgrade. It is a network efficiency upgrade.
Wi-Fi 6 is worth considering if:
Your home has lots of connected devices
Video calls or streaming stutter during busy times
Wi-Fi drops out in parts of the house
You want better performance without paying for a faster NBN plan
In many cases, upgrading the Wi-Fi equipment delivers more benefit than upgrading the internet speed itself.
How Churna Helps Improve Home Wi-Fi
Churna doesn’t just help people find better mobile and internet plans. We also help improve home network performance.
This includes:
Supplying and installing Wi-Fi 6 routers and mesh systems
Optimising Wi-Fi channels, security, and settings
Reusing compatible modems instead of replacing them unnecessarily
Making sure upgrades actually improve performance, not just add cost
If you’re unsure whether your current Wi-Fi setup is holding you back, a free Bill and Network Health Check can quickly show where improvements can be made.
Better Wi-Fi often starts with better setup, not a bigger bill.
