SIGNALS FLASH! WHEREFORE ART THOU WI-FI
SIGNALS FLASH! WHEREFORE ART THOU WI-FI
Some Perspectives on Wi-Fi 7 Plus our New Verizon Wi-Fi Router
02/11/2026 | 17 pages
With a short downtime in between two Signals Ahead studies, we spent a few days experimenting with our ASUS Wi-Fi router (Wi-Fi 7) and two Verizon Wi-Fi routers. Our focus was on relative coverage/throughput differences between 6 GHz (320 MHz and 160 MHz channels) and 5 GHz (ASUS), and between the “old” and “new” Verizon routers.
Highlights of the Report include the following:
Our Thanks. We did this study with the support of Accuver (XCAL5 and XCAP) and Keysight Technologies (Umetrix Data, previously provided by Spirent Communications).
VZ Gains are Real. The new Verizon 5G FWA router delivers obvious performance advantages at 5 GHz compared with the legacy router it replaced. At most of the 18 test locations, the new router delivered double-digit higher throughput on a percentage basis, thanks primarily to higher RSSI. The performance advantage was most noticeable with a smartphone while the laptop results showed largely comparable results between the two routers.
VZ Caveat. Since we evaluated the Verizon routers with the 5G connection serving as the backhaul, potential performance advantages between the two routers were masked by the 300 Mbps/20 Mbps service plan. Uplink throughput almost always reached or slightly exceeded 20 Mbps, which is consistent with the Verizon service plan.
The Sweet Spot. The Asus router supports 320 MHz channels at 6775 MHz and 5975 MHz, and 160 MHz at 5 GHz (consistent with the Wi-Fi specs). We found the coverage at 6775 MHz to be limited while the 160 MHz channel at 5 GHz couldn’t support the capabilities of our 2 Gbps fiber connection. The 5975 GHz frequency with a 320 MHz channel bandwidth provided the sweet spot.
Work Remains. If we have a lull in our Signals Ahead studies or get bored, we will look at MU-MIMO, MLO (Multi-Link Operation), and the use of satellite nodes to [hopefully] extend coverage without increasing interference. We have our doubts.