TP-Link Makes History With First Successful Wi-Fi 8 Connection (nerds.xyz) 34
BrianFagioli writes: TP-Link has officially achieved the first successful Wi-Fi 8 connection using a prototype device built through an industry collaboration. The company confirmed that both the beacon and data throughput worked, marking a real-world validation of next-generation wireless tech. It's an early glimpse of what the next leap in speed and reliability could look like, even as the Wi-Fi 8 standard itself remains under development. The Verge adds: Like its predecessor, Wi-Fi 8 will utilize 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands with a theoretical maximum channel bandwidth of 320MHz and peak data rate of 23Gbps, but aims to improve real-world performance and connection reliability. The goal is to provide better performance in environments with low signal, or under high network loads, where an increasing number of devices are sharing the same connection.
6GHz band (Score:2, Interesting)
I'll be curious to see if the Trump grab-back of this spectrum ends up borking our wi-fi networks.
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Yeah thats actually a worry. The sale of 6ghz to mobile carriers could have some troublesome implications for wifi. In theory it could be moved elsewhere but that'd reqire the FCC to release bandwidth to the public and it currently seems more interested in selling public bandwidth to telcos instead.
And TP-Link is being investigated for a ban.... (Score:5, Interesting)
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Deposit 10 bitcoins in the presidential wallet and it's a non issue.
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The solution is easy. WiFi 6 is only just starting to come out in the marketplace. If TP-Link hijacks the standard development procedure, solidifies a workable WiFi 8 quickly, and manufacturers/users in Europe, Asia, and Oceana all start using WiFi 8, skipping WiFi 7 entirely, the US will be left with an inferior standard that only they have gear for, with no option to use WiFi 8 for many more years because the only manufacturers making it can't sell in the US.
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WiFi 6 is pretty much default and has been for a while. WiFi 7 is the stuff that's been coming on to the market for the last year and is widely available, just not as common.
So it's a little late for TP-Link to do that.
That said, they seem to be playing ball with US and other regulators, they've opened a US subsidiary and I suspect are in a position to create non-Chinese devices, albeit from Chinese designs, as long as they can find a non-Chinese manufacturer. I don't think there's really a lot of risk that
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The solution is easy. WiFi 6 is only just starting to come out in the marketplace..
?? WiFi 6 has been widely available since 2020, WiFi 6E from 2022 (both with initial commercial availability the year before). It is WiFi 7 that is just now rolling out, more and more routers and devices supporting it.
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My home has been on wifi 7 for over a year. I still have some older 6E devices, but they should all be replaced by EoY.
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My home has been on wifi 7 for over a year. I still have some older 6E devices, but they should all be replaced by EoY.
You probably know this but others might not -- very few current "WiFi 7 devices" are actually fully supporting the capabilities of WiFi 7. Even Apple's shiny iPhone 17 up to Pro Max only support 160 MHz channel widths, not WiFi7's full 320 MHz.
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In the real world, I doubt 320Mhz is practical. Too much overlap. It's like trying to use 80Mhz on 2.4GHz. That's been available for a long time, but practically speaking it might as well not exist. It's just there so they can but a bigger theoretical max speed on the box.
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My home has been on wifi 7 for over a year.
Wicked flex, Bro. Do tell us what wasting your money on WiFi 7 in your home has gotten you? Your two Apple devices are able to negotiate a WiFi connection, before immediately downgrading to a WiFi 4 or 5 connection for actual stable use?
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WiFi 8 is a departure from previous standards, in that it is focused on reliability rather than speed. Speed is the same peak at WiFi 7, but with new features that should make WiFi more reliable and consistent with a lot of congestion.
It will likely prove quite popular because devices don't need to be WiFi 8 to benefit from it, older standard clients will see big improvements too. Everyone from commercial spaces with many users, to ISPs looking to deliver better home WiFi for customers, will be wanting it.
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Nice try, Ubiquiti.
TP-Link isn't going to be banned. Is NOT.
Spec not slated for approval until march 2028 (Score:2, Offtopic)
Seems very varporwarey since final approval not slated for another 3 years
https://www.ieee802.org/11/Rep... [ieee802.org]
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A real functioning prototype is the opposite of vapor. It may not be useful to know, but you can't have hardware ready to sell the moment standards are finalized by waiting.
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It's a functioning prototype. That's how R&D works. Design, lab test, prototype, production with debugging and refinement at each step.
Wow! Big tech will be able (Score:3)
to serve up advertisement and privacy-invadind SaaS at lightning speed. I can't wait!
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But their Tapo cameras... (Score:2)
...still only support 2.4 GHz.
Re:But their Tapo cameras... (Score:4, Interesting)
For the most part, 2.4GHz is the only practical WiFi band for smart devices due to wall penetration. But outdoor cameras with line of sight are a pretty good use case for higher bands. Though not many people have APs near exterior walls in every direction.
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Still, Wifi 6 supports 2.4 Ghz, and would be mote efficient. I have about 300 IOT Wifi devices. Almost all use 2.4 Ghz. None uses Wifi 6 on the 2.4 Ghz band. Almost all are Wifi 4. That includes 40 TP-link devices.
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5 GHz is only good for two walls in my house due to lathe and plaster walls. 2.4 can get through the third interior wall too.
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I only use their wired models.
It's a dumb idea to use a CCTV camera that can be blocked (from viewing and cloud-upload) by someone running a smartphone.
Historic! (Score:2)
Declaration of Independence
Abolition of slavery
The light bulb
The computer
The internet
TP-Link achieves wi-fi 8
Risk or not... (Score:2)
If the day comes where I think I need a WiFi upgrade, TP-Link makes my shortlist. I have a pair of BE75 units, and their performance is far and away the best that I've ever experienced. Puts my ASUS units to shame. My 2000 square foot home with huge backyard has end to end high speed coverage. So much so that I didn't realize that the cable running to my second floor was dead and it was using a WiFi back channel.
The only complaint I have is that I wish the web interface was more robust. Having to use the ap
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Oh. This IS good news (Score:2)
The backbone of every botnet on the planet will certainly enjoy this little perfromance bump.
TP-Link. Not even if it were buried in a pile of cocaine. That shiat will give you Space AIDS.