What is Wi-Fi class

Wi-Fi class is one of the main characteristics of modern routers. In fact, it provides the user with information about several key operating parameters of this network equipment at once. A class is a combination of letters (one to three) and numbers (three or four). Examples: N300, AC2000, AXE5400. Note that occasionally you can find an inverted display of a class, like 300N, but more often it is the alphanumeric sequence that is used.

The letters represent the maximum supported Wi-Fi standard (protocol) as defined by the IEEE classification. This means that you can use it to determine the generation of the router.

The relationship between the class (the letters in it), the standard and generations of routers is summarized in the table:

Class letters Wi-Fi standard Generation
N 802.11n WiFi 4
AC 802.11ac WiFi 5
AX 802.11ax WiFi 6
AX 802.11ax WiFi 6E
BE 802.11be WiFi 7

The numerical designation in the router class displays the total speed for all ranges and streams. And since there are quite a lot of variables here, we will consider this issue in more detail in relation to generations of routers.

Where to look for Wi-Fi class

For many routers, the class is indicated directly in the model name. Here are just a few examples (mentions in bold):

When a class is not mentioned in the name, it often appears prominently on the packaging:

For the TP-LINK Archer C80 model, the AC1900 class is easy to notice on the box.

If nothing is written on the box (or the required values are not immediately apparent), then information about the class is often indicated in the specification - in the user manual or on the manufacturer’s official website:

For the MikroTik model, hAP is listed in the characteristics section of the official website.

What does knowing the Wi-Fi class give to the user?

If you know the class of the router and you know how to decrypt it, then you get quite a lot of information, namely:

  • Model generation. And from it the supported frequency ranges and the total number of frequencies are usually clear.
  • Total throughput - for all bands. And with this data, you can at least approximately understand the speed for each channel and even stream.

Another router class directly or indirectly reflects the potential signal quality, the absence or presence of interference during data transmission, as well as the general status and price segment of network equipment. If AC1200 is already more of an entry-level category in 2024, then AX3000 is a strong “middle peasant”, and AX11000 is the top segment.

By the way, advanced users can use the numbers in the router class to estimate the bandwidth of the transmission channel, guess the signal modulation used, or identify the presence of a reduced speed (limitations in encoding schemes), etc.

Next, we will decipher the numerical values of classes within different generations of routers.

Wi-Fi classes 4

Representatives of the fourth generation of network equipment today, as a rule, belong to the budget category. They operate only in one band (most often 2.4 GHz), can have from 1 to 4 spatial MU-MIMO streams with a maximum speed of 150 Mbit/s for each. In their class, the letter N necessarily appears, and there are only 4 options for numerical designations. We have summarized information about them in a table:

Class Total speed, Mbit/s Decoding
N150 150 1 stream at 150 Mbit/s
N300 300 2 x 150 Mbit/s
N450 450 3 x 150 Mbit/s
N600 600 4 x 150 Mbit/s

The number of antennas on the case depends on the number of supported streams. The most common routers on sale are N300. These are inexpensive models for undemanding users - for example, in a private home with elderly parents.

Popular routers that support Wi-Fi 4

Wi-Fi classes 5

Fifth generation routers belong to the 802.11ac standard, that is, their classes have the letters AC. Wi-Fi 5 has increased speeds per stream - up to 433 Mbit/s. Plus, dual-band models have become the norm - operating at 2.4 and 5 GHz. Accordingly, the maximum number of spatial streams increased to 8 - four for each range. All this ensured a pronounced increase in total speed values. Many solutions of this generation belong to the middle price segment.

Here are the main classes for dual-band devices :

Class Total speed, Mbit/s Decoding
AC600 583 1 stream 2.4 GHz 150 Mbit/s + 1 stream 5 GHz 433 Mbit/s
AC750 733 2 x 150 Mbit/s + 1 x 433 Mbit/s
AC1000 950 2 x 150 Mbit/s + 1 x 433 Mbit/s + 1 x 217 Mbit/s (cut 5 GHz)
AC1200 1166 2 x 150 Mbit/s + 2 x 433 Mbit/s
AC1350 1316 3 x 150 Mbit/s + 2 x 433 Mbit/s
AC1450 1425 3 x 150 Mbit/s + 975 Mbit/s for 3 streams (cut 5 GHz)
AC1600 1599 2 x 150 Mbit/s + 3 x 433 Mbit/s
AC1700 1666 4 x 200 Mbit/s + 2 x 433 Mbit/s
AC1750 1749 3 x 150 Mbit/s + 3 x 433 Mbit/s
AC1900 1899 3 x 200 Mbit/s + 3 x 433 Mbit/s
AC2000 2032 2 x 150 Mbit/s + 4 x 433 Mbit/s
AC2100 2099 4 x 200 Mbit/s + 3 x 433 Mbit/s
AC2200 2182 3 x 150 Mbit/s + 4 x 433 Mbit/s
AC2400 2332 4 x 150 Mbit/s + 4 x 433 Mbit/s
AC2600 2532 4 x 200 Mbit/s + 4 x 433 Mbit/s

Explanations for transcripts:

  • The total values (numbers in the router class) are most often rounded up, but sometimes down, as for AC2000.
  • In the fifth generation of routers, so-called “stripped-down configurations” appear. Let’s say that a router may have 2 5 GHz streams declared, but instead of a total speed of 867 Mbit/s (433 Mbit/s x 2), only 650 Mbit/s (433 Mbit/s + half stream 217) comes out. This limitation is due to the coding scheme (MCS) used.
  • In 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 5 networks, the maximum overall speed per stream (and range) is higher, respectively, 150 and 600 Mbit/s. All thanks to a different signal modulation: instead of 64-QAM, a more progressive 256-QAM is sometimes used, with which the speed per band increases to 800 Mbit/s (200 Mbit/s per stream).

In the 5th generation of routers, there are tri-band devices that support one 2.4 GHz network and two 5 GHz networks. Their classes and total speeds are obviously higher.

The main varieties are summarized in the table:

Class Total speed, Mbit/s Decoding
AC3000 3048 3 streams 150 Mbit/s + 3 streams 433 Mbit/s + 3 streams 433 Mbit/s
AC5000 4934 4 x 150 Mbit/s + 4 x 541 Mbit/s + 4 x 541 Mbit/s
AC5300 5134 4 x 200 Mbit/s + 4 x 541 Mbit/s + 4 x 541 Mbit/s

Where does the 541 Mbit per stream come from? All also due to modulation changes. So, the standard for 5 GHz frequencies is 256-QAM with a bandwidth of 1733 (4 x 433 Mbit/s). But improved 1024-QAM modulation provides acceleration up to 2167 Mbit/s (slightly more than 541 Mbit/s per stream).

Popular routers that support Wi-Fi 5

Wi-Fi 6 classes

The sixth generation of routers supports the 802.11ax standard. Here the peak speeds per stream have increased - by expanding the channel to 80 or even 160 MHz - to 600 and 1200 Mbit/s, respectively. Plus, the limit on the number of threads in one operating range has increased to 8. All this made the overall speed of Wi-Fi 6 routers even higher. Today, both “average” and advanced-level devices are presented here.

The main classes of dual-band models of this generation are presented in the table:

Class Total speed, Mbit/s Decoding
AX1500 1501 2 streams 2.4 GHz (802.11n standard) 150 Mbit/s + 2 x 601 (80 MHz width)
AX1800 1779 2 streams 2.4 GHz at 287 Mbit/s + 2 x 601 Mbit/s
AX2400 2381 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 3 x 601 Mbit/s
AX2700 2664 3 x 287 Mbit/s + 3 x 601 Mbit/s
AX3000 2976 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 2 x 1201 Mbit/s (channel width 160 MHz)
AX3200 3202 4 x 200 Mbit/s (802.11n and 256-QAM modulation) + 2 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX4200 4177 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 3 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX4500 4463 3 x 287 Mbit/s + 3 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX5400 5378 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX5700 5665 3 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX6000 5952 4 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s

Among Wi-Fi 6 routers, the share of Tri-band models, that is, three-band solutions, has increased. They most often have even higher speeds (two 5 GHz networks are used):

Class Total speed, Mbit/s Decoding
AX4200 4180 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 3 x 601 Mbit/s + 3 x 601 Mbit/s
AX5300 5354 4 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 601 Mbit/s + 3 x 601 Mbit/s
AX5400 5378 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 2 x 1201 Mbit/s + 2 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX6000 2952
or
2980		 4 x 287 Mbit/s + 2 x 1201 Mbit/s + 2 x 1201 Mbit/s
or
2 x 287 Mbit/s + 3 x 601 Mbit/s + 3 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX6300 6267 3 x 287 Mbit/s + 3 x 601 Mbit/s + 3 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX6600 6580 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 2 x 601 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX7800 7780 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 3 x 1201 Mbit/s + 3 x 1201 Mbit/s
or
2 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s + 2 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX8100 8067 3 x 287 Mbit/s + 3 x 1201 Mbit/s + 3 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX8400 8355 4 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 601 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX9000 8955 4 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 601 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s + dedicated network for smart home devices at 600 Mbit/s
AX10000 10182 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s
AX10800
(AX11000)		 10756 4 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s

In the future, even faster sixth-generation dual- and tri-band routers may appear. For example, technically, 2 5 GHz networks can have 8 streams each. In this case, for Dual-band, the total speeds will approach 10,000 Mbit/s. This will require a configuration of 4 x 287 Mbit + 8 x 1201 Mbit. And for Tri-band, the speed characteristics can exceed the level of 20,000 Mbit/s in the option 4 x 287 Mbit/s + 8 x 1201 Mbit/s + 8 x 1201 Mbit/s. But at the time of writing, such routers are not available on the market.

Popular routers that support Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi 6E classes

The Wi-Fi 6E standard is not considered a separate generation, but at the same time it provides an important innovation - support for the new, lightly loaded 6 GHz frequency range. This network equipment is primarily recommended for crowded areas and environments with high communication interference due to numerous active connections. True, models of this standard, with rare exceptions, are quite expensive.

The main classes for Wi-Fi 6E routers are shown in the table:

Class Total speed, Mbit/s Decoding
AX3000 2978 2 streams 287 Mbit/s + 2 x 601 Mbit/s (5 GHz) + 2 x 601 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
AX4200 4178 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 2 x 601 Mbit/s + 2 x 1201 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
AX5400 5382 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 601 Mbit/s + 4 x 601 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
AX6600 6580 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 2 x 601 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
AX7300 7304 2 x 300 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s + 2 x 950 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
AX7800 7806 2 x 300 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s + 2 x 1201 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
AX10000 9564 4 x 230 Mbit/s + 4 x 950 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
AX11000 10808
or
10756		 4 x 300 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
or
4 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
AX16000 15560 4 x 287 Mbit/s + 2 channels 5 GHz (4 x 1201 Mbit/s) + 4 x 1201 Mbit/s (6 GHz)

The Wi-Fi 6E standard has opened up access to a new frequency that is almost unloaded, which means it minimizes interference and increases performance.
Popular routers that support Wi-Fi 6E

Wi-Fi classes 7

The seventh generation (IEEE 802.11be) also supports up to 3 frequencies (but there are also Dual-band devices), while allowing the use of up to 16 spatial streams and bandwidth expansion up to 320 MHz. Also, even more advanced signal modulation can be used here - 4096-QAM. Accordingly, the peak speed per stream can reach 2400 Mbit/s. The implementation of the Wi-Fi 7 standard began in 2023, so the list of these devices is not very large yet, but new models are gradually appearing. Most of them represent the highest price segment. You can read more about this generation in our thematic material “All about Wi-Fi 7: what’s cool, how much faster is Wi-Fi 6, is it worth connecting now.”

Classes of seventh generation routers:

Class Total speed, Mbit/s Decoding
BE3600 3570 2 channels 2.4 GHz at 344 Mbit/s + 2 x 1441 Mbit/s
BE5000 5011 2 x 344 Mbit/s + 3 x 1441 Mbit/s
BE7000 6911 4 x 287 Mbit/s + 4 x 1441 Mbit/s
BE9300 9220
or
9334		 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 2 x 1441 Mbit/s + 4 x 1441 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
or
2 x 344 Mbit/s + 2 x 1441 Mbit/s + 4 x 1441 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
BE11000 10654 2 x 287 Mbit/s + 3 x 1441 Mbit/s + 4 x 1441 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
BE19000 18656 2 x 344 Mbit/s + 4 x 1441 Mbit/s + 8 x 1441 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
BE22000 21552 2 x 344 Mbit/s + 6 x 1441 Mbit/s + 8 x 1441 Mbit/s (6 GHz)
BE25000 24433 2 x 344 Mbit/s + 2 channels 5 GHz (4 x 1441 Mbit/s) + 8 x 1441 Mbit/s (6 GHz)

It is expected that the range of Wi-Fi 7 routers will increase, which will lead to an increase in the number of classes.

It’s worth mentioning separately about WiGig (ad) devices with support for 60 GHz networks. As a rule, they do not provide for the usual division into classes. The fact is that such network equipment belongs to highly specialized solutions, which are rarely found in the consumer segment. These routers are used, for example, to build wireless “bridges” and/or provide communication in confined spaces, because they are characterized by a short connection range - up to 10 meters.

Popular routers that support Wi-Fi 7

Conclusion

If a potential buyer understands at least a little about what a class of routers is, he will almost immediately be aware of the generation of the device and the total data transfer speed for all ranges of the model. Together with information about the number of frequency channels, the number of streams and other specifications, this will be quite enough to make an informed purchasing decision.

Often, the higher the numeric value of the class, the cooler the router. But the pursuit of record speeds is not always justified:

  • Firstly, Internet access bandwidth is limited by your provider. If the latter guarantees up to 100 Mbit/s, then you will download your video archive from the cloud in approximately the same time with both the AX2700 and the BE9300.
  • Secondly, a modern router can reveal its full potential only with clients that support its Wi-Fi generation. Yes, an 802.11be device is backwards compatible with earlier protocols, but if you have a fairly old smart TV or tablet, then these devices will limit the performance when transmitting data over the air.
  • Thirdly, you need to understand that the indicated speed is channel speed, that is, it reflects the physical limit of capabilities for specific network equipment. In practice, actual data transfer rates are approximately a third lower, that is, about 60% of the declared ones. And this is still a pretty good situation: often the gap is even greater.

And finally, do not forget that a higher class of router also means a corresponding price tag for it. For most tasks, total speeds of about 3000 Mbit/s are quite enough. Yes, network equipment is not purchased for a year or two, that is, a certain reserve for the future will not be superfluous. But, for example, if you live in a high-rise building, then in the future you should first look at newer generations with less loaded operating frequencies, and only then at the maximum speed capabilities.