Microsoft official doc suggests upgrading to Windows 11 24H2 may be necessary for Wi-Fi 7

Microsoft, this week, released Windows 11 version 24H2 feature update for Arm-based Copilot+ PCs that were released soon after. The company also published some details regarding printer support and app performance on Windows 11 24H2 on Arm, as well as a blog post detailing gaming optimizations and improvements including features like Prism emulator and BattlEye anti-cheat.

Aside from those, the company has also updated its support article regarding Wi-Fi 7 which is making its debut with Windows 11 24H2. Pretty much like previous Wi-Fi generations, Microsoft has published standard guidance on how to make sure Wi-Fi 7 is enabled on your PC.

With this, the company has also confirmed that Wi-Fi 7 is available "starting with" Windows 11 version 24H2 and at the moment it is unclear if older Windows 11 versions or Windows 10 will support the technology. We already knew Windows 10 does not support the 6GHz band but previous Windows 11 versions may not have any such limitations.

Microsoft writes:

To take advantage of the increased performance, coverage, and security, here's what you'll need:

 

• A router that supports Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6/6E, and/or WPA3. To find out if your router supports this, check the documentation that came with it or visit the router manufacturer’s website. If you’re considering buying a new router, look for a Wi-Fi 7 label for the latest Wi-Fi features.

   

• Windows 11 installed on your PC. To check and make sure you have the latest updates for Windows 11, select the Start button, then select Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.

   

  Note: Wi-Fi 7 is available starting with Windows 11, version 24H2.

   

• A wireless network adapter that supports Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6/6E, and/or WPA3. To see if your PC supports it, check the documentation that came with it or check the PC manufacturer’s website.

   

  Tip: You can also check to see what your network adapter supports by opening the Command Prompt (or Terminal), and then typing the command netsh wlan show drivers. Look next to Radio types supported and see if it includes 802.11be (for Wi-Fi 7) or 802.11ax (for Wi-Fi 6/6e) and look under Authentication and cipher supported in infrastructure mode and see if it includes WPA3 Personal and WPA3 Enterprise.

Alongside that, Microsoft has also briefly discussed the new features Wi-Fi 7 brings to the table. These include Multi-Link Operation (MLO), enabling devices to use multiple bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and/or 6 GHz) simultaneously. In the 6 GHz band, Wi-Fi 7 promises to offer an impressive 320 MHz-wide channel, known as ultra-wide bandwidth, effectively doubling device speeds and enabling high-bandwidth applications such as AR/VR.

It also comes with 4096-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) which is said to enhance data transmission efficiency by 20%, resulting in better quality for video streaming and video conferencing.

You can find the support article here on Microsoft's website.

Source

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