Wi-Fi 8 routers are here: do we really need them?

Views: 0

Practically everyone has a Wi-Fi router at home. It is that small device which, despite often going unnoticed, has become the hub of our digital communications.

Computers, mobile phones, televisions, cameras, smart speakers, and an increasing number of home devices connect through it. The router enables all of them to connect to the internet and communicate with one another.

Over the years, we have moved through various generations of Wi-Fi systems. Many Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 routers are still in use, while Wi-Fi 7 is gradually being incorporated into new equipment. Yet, just as we are beginning to familiarize ourselves with Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 8 has already hit the market.

Interestingly, Wi-Fi 8 does not aim solely for spectacular speed figures; its primary goal is to make communication far more stable and reliable.

The new standard—technically designated IEEE 802.11bn—is associated with the concept of Ultra-High Reliability (UHR). While final approval of the standard is expected in 2028, the first routers are already reaching the market.

One early example is the TP-Link Archer 8 Ultra, a tri-band router operating on the 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz frequencies, with a combined theoretical speed of up to 19 Gbps. It features a built-in AI assistant capable of performing self-diagnostics, optimizing the network, and helping to mitigate interference.

But this raises the question: is it worth it compared to Wi-Fi 7?

Wi-Fi 7 already represented a significant leap in speed, latency, and the capacity to handle multiple devices simultaneously; in fact, some routers were already reaching speeds of 19 Gbps. Now, the only real shift is the focus on communication stability.

Laboratory tests for the new TP-Link device show performance improvements of up to 33%, though these are manufacturer-conducted tests and should be viewed with a degree of caution. This raises the question once again: do we really need Wi-Fi 8?

For most of us, the answer is almost certainly no. The new standard might be appealing for multi-story homes with numerous interconnected devices, or for specialized facilities.

However, there is another factor at play. Technology advances so rapidly that each new generation hits the market before we actually need its capabilities. Yet, as production scales up, prices eventually align with those of the previous generation. This pattern holds true for many products, such as smartphones and televisions.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Having enhanced capabilities is generally an advantage, though it is worth distinguishing between what we need and what we can simply afford to buy.

Ultimately, this is part of our consumer culture: technology evolves to do more than just meet existing needs; it often creates a need for things we hadn't even imagined before.

And perhaps that is the real question: whether we truly need so much technology to live the way we do.