Wi-Fi Alliance calls 802.11ax standard Wi-Fi 6

The Wi-Fi Alliance introduces naming conventions for Wi-Fi standards. The latest IEEE 802.11ax standard is known as WiFi 6, 802.11ac and 802.11n are called WiFi 5 and 4. There are also icons in software.

The Wi-Fi Alliance is introducing the naming convention to make it easier for users to distinguish different Wi-Fi standards from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. With the numbers it is easier to see which standard is the newest and therefore the fastest. The intention is that both makers of equipment and software will use the naming convention.

The organization also makes icons available that hardware makers can stick on their devices and that can be used by software makers in their interface. Operating systems should display that way what type of network a device is connected to.

Starting next year, the Wi-Fi Alliance will update its certification program with the new naming convention. Future new releases of the 802.11 standard will also be numbered consecutively. It is not yet clear when the new naming convention will be visible in operating systems.