Qualcomm Debuts Wi-Fi 7 Networking Pro Series, Offering Wireless speeds of up to 33.1 Gbps

[TheLostSwede]

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced its Wi-Fi 7 capable Qualcomm Networking Pro Series Gen 3 family of platforms. Now sampling and available to global development partners, the Qualcomm Networking Pro Series, Gen3 is the world's highest performance Wi-Fi 7 network infrastructure platform portfolio commercially available. Building upon the multi-generation legacy of the Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms, the products combine Wi-Fi 7 features with Qualcomm Technologies' intelligent multi-channel management technologies to improve speeds, lower latency, and enhance network utilization for users of Wi-Fi 6/6E devices while offering game-changing throughput and incredibly low latency for the next generation of Wi-Fi 7 client devices.

"Qualcomm Technologies has enabled the era of 10 Gbps Wi-Fi with our first customer deliveries of the Wi-Fi 7 Networking Pro Series," said Nick Kucharewski, senior vice president and general manager, Wireless Infrastructure and Networking, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "Combining support for the latest Wi-Fi 7 innovations with our unique product architecture, the platform enables solutions ranging from whole-home mesh to connectivity networks for large public venues. With this product line, we anticipate a new class of customer systems for both today's applications and the emerging Wi-Fi 7 ecosystem."




"Building upon the strong Wi-Fi 6/6E momentum and leadership, Qualcomm Technologies' Wi-Fi 7 capable third generation Networking Pro series platform delivers record wireless capacity and throughput performance taking the Wi-Fi infrastructure across home and enterprises to the next level." said, Neil Shah, Research Vice President, Counterpoint Research. "Introducing Wi-Fi 7 innovations such as Simultaneous Multi-Link Operations, 4K QAM, quad-band configurations in a highly scalable, modular, and optimized architecture, Qualcomm Technologies is raising the table stakes once again and driving the industry into the 10 Gbps+ era. This innovative platform thus helps deliver immersive and content-rich wireless experiences even in constrained environments not possible earlier."

"We are proud to connect with Qualcomm Technologies to deliver advanced wireless networking solutions," said Sean Harris, President and CMO of eero. "Qualcomm's suite of Wi-Fi networking products helps us offer the latest technology and a broad portfolio to our retail, professional installer, homebuilder, and internet service provider customers in 19 countries around the world."

This third generation of the Qualcomm Networking Pro Series sets new industry benchmarks for networking platform performance. The family enables systems with peak aggregate wireless capacity of 33 Gbps and point-to-point connections exceeding 10 Gbps. With advanced features for interference detection and multilink operation, the Wi-Fi 7 Network Pro Series enables deterministic low latency across challenging shared wireless environments, enabling application performance rivaling private spectrum. The products can support high speed low latency wireless backhaul for home mesh Wi-Fi and enterprise infrastructure with reliable performance even in the presence of neighboring interference. When combined with high performance internet access such as 5G fixed-wireless access or 10G PON fiber, customers can experience immersive connected experiences including high resolution videoconferencing, AR/VR, and high-performance cloud gaming.

Available in tri-band, and quad-band configurations, the Qualcomm Networking Pro Series enables Wi-Fi connectivity across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz spectrum. Qualcomm Networking Pro Series Wi-Fi 7 platforms achieve unparalleled performance through expert implementation of key features, including:

• Support for Wi-Fi 7 320 MHz channels (delivering a two-times increase in throughput over Wi-Fi 6) provides maximum throughput and ultra-low latency for the most demanding real-time gaming, streaming, video sharing, and XR applications.
• Multi-Link technology enables customer traffic to dynamically aggregate or alternate bands to avoid wireless interference and deliver deterministic, predictable low latency in heavily congested environments. When paired with leading Wi-Fi 7 client systems, like the Qualcomm FastConnect 7800, Qualcomm Networking Pro Series, Gen 3 platforms can offer support for High Band Simultaneous (HBS) Multi-Link. HBS Multi-Link leverages the high performance 5 and 6 GHz bands to deliver the best throughput and latency Multi-Link performance.
• To maximize 6 GHz operation, including long-range and outdoors, the Qualcomm AFC service is a turnkey solution for hardware and software. The Qualcomm AFC Solution is available for customer device integration today across Qualcomm Networking Pro Series and Qualcomm Immersive Home platforms. The Qualcomm AFC Solution is available for customer device integration today and once regulatory approvals are granted, the Qualcomm AFC Solution will be commercially available for use by the public.

As with previous generations, these third-generation Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms are custom designed to ensure customer's quick time-to-market in a wide range of connectivity solutions. The highly scalable platform architecture leverages a common software and hardware development approach to deliver a range of globally relevant configurations, each supporting optimized multiband channel utilization schemes to address varied regional spectrum availability. Customers can select from a breadth of platforms, whether targeting enterprise, small/medium-sized business, carrier gateway, prosumer mesh, or home deployments. The full range of platform offerings include:

• Qualcomm Networking Pro 1620: Quad-band, 16-stream, 33.1 Gbps peak wireless capacity for stadium, large enterprise, premium home mesh systems.
• Qualcomm Networking Pro 1220: Tri-band, 12-stream, 21.6 Gbps peak wireless capacity for enterprise, SMB, prosumer, and premium home mesh systems.
• Qualcomm Networking Pro 820: Quad-band, 8-stream, 13.7 Gbps peak wireless capacity for enterprise, SMB, prosumer, and premium home mesh systems.
• Qualcomm Networking Pro 620: Tri-band, 6-stream, 10.8 Gbps peak wireless capacity for enterprise, SMB, gaming, and home mesh systems.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[Denver]

Meanwhile most don't have decent 100Mbps internet access, and in many places there are restrictions on the maximum volume of data per month... this 2867576gbps advertisement is very pretty on paper. There is not even infrastructure for everyone to have access to such speeds. period.

 

[highyield]

Meanwhile most don't have decent 100Mbps internet access, and in many places there are restrictions on the maximum volume of data per month... this 2867576gbps advertisement is very pretty on paper. There is not even infrastructure for everyone to have access to such speeds. period.

Don't worry, it's coming. You'll need these kind of speeds to "upload" your conscience to the "server" and be connected with the AI - or viceversa. You just have to wait for the new order to be installed into the world.

 

[Chrispy_]

I mean that's great on paper but the very very best of the best Wi-Fi 6 router/adapter pairings on the market managed about 2Gbit in uncongested RF space at a miniscule 10-feet distance with line of sight to the router.

So that's 2Gbit out of the claimed 9.6Gbit of Wi-Fi 6 and only when you're close enough to use a fucking $2 cable anyway.

Call me a pessimist if you want, the tests dont lie and I'd be surprised if Wi-Fi 7, Quad-band, 16-stream typical speeds are much faster than gigabit ethernet when used in a real-world situation of "a couple of rooms away through some drywall fighting the other ten WiFi networks of my neighbours.

 

[thegnome]

I mean that's great on paper but the very very best of the best Wi-Fi 6 router/adapter pairings on the market managed about 2Gbit in uncongested RF space at a miniscule 10-feet distance with line of sight to the router.

So that's 2Gbit out of the claimed 9.6Gbit of Wi-Fi 6 and only when you're close enough to use a fucking $2 cable anyway.

Call me a pessimist if you want, the tests dont lie and I'd be surprised if Wi-Fi 7, Quad-band, 16-stream typical speeds are much faster than gigabit ethernet when used in a real-world situation of "a couple of rooms away through some drywall fighting the other ten WiFi networks of my neighbours.

Oh that's honestly pretty bad. I got basically gigabit (900 mbit, but you know) on an AX200 with a cheap 160mhz capable router. I really expected more from those super expensive high end devices running on near zero RF with more than just 2x2 MU-MIMO. Like 5-10 gigabit range.

Anyways, I hope any WiFi 7 routers aren't either unbuyable or too expensive (see 6E routers) for regular people, and along with that fit some multigig ethernet. What's the point of having 114534 gigabit WiFi when you can't even run internet or any meaningful lan device higher than gigabit (knowing most high end stuff only have 2.5gbe on WAN). With internet speeds rising (2Gigabit available) there should really be capable routers on the market, not having to rely on aggregation to get those speeds. Most mid-range mobo's have 2.5gbe on them, I hope they start actually getting used for more than just a NAS.

 

[Chrispy_]

Oh that's honestly pretty bad. I got basically gigabit (900 mbit, but you know) on an AX200 with a cheap 160mhz capable router. I really expected more from those super expensive high end devices running on near zero RF with more than just 2x2 MU-MIMO. Like 5-10 gigabit range.

Anyways, I hope any WiFi 7 routers aren't either unbuyable or too expensive (see 6E routers) for regular people, and along with that fit some multigig ethernet. What's the point of having 114534 gigabit WiFi when you can't even run internet or any meaningful lan device higher than gigabit (knowing most high end stuff only have 2.5gbe on WAN). With internet speeds rising (2Gigabit available) there should really be capable routers on the market, not having to rely on aggregation to get those speeds. Most mid-range mobo's have 2.5gbe on them, I hope they start actually getting used for more than just a NAS.

It's worse than that - all of these tests that show WiFi6 (and Wifi5) to be only a fraction of their stated speed in the real world also use 5GHz and 5GHz is shit at penetrating walls. Performance absolutely plummets off a cliff the minute you move to a different room because 5GHz is both short range and troubled by simple things like doorways.

So, unless you're in the same room as your fancy new WiFi 7 router you might be better off using 2.4GHz, which gets nowhere near the same bandwidth as multi-channel 5GHz.

I don't really care, even good wifi is worthless compared to a 2.5GbE USB adapter and I can suffer the inconvenience of having to plug in if it turns a 3-hour job into a 10-minute job.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

it seems liked last month that wifi6 started making the rounds.

 

[Chrispy_]

it seems liked last month that wifi6 started making the rounds.

The new name, yes.
802.11ax has been the norm for a few years now.

 

[Mussels]

This is great, i can use this with my 50Mb internet

 

[windwhirl]

Anyone interested in anything beyond 100 Mbps will likely be looking exclusively at CAT5/6 cables or fiber. Not Wifi.

 

[mechtech]

This is great, i can use this with my 50Mb internet

Or my wired NAS…….errr wait nevermind

 

[goodeedidid]

People say they don't even have 100-Mbps, but that isn't the point. I think the application of those wireless WIFI 7 speeds are meant for things like NAS devices with multiple high speed clients such as Lightroom servers and storage of large video files for videography work without having to have anything attached to your editing machines.

 

[Mussels]

People say they don't even have 100-Mbps, but that isn't the point. I think the application of those wireless WIFI 7 speeds are meant for things like NAS devices with multiple high speed clients such as Lightroom servers and storage of large video files for videography work without having to have anything attached to your editing machines.

We know, but any time someone wants to use high speed transfers regularly they're always going to end up wired
It will prove useful in a lot of situations long term, but short term it's not that amazing

 

[Xajel]

While I like faster WiFi, I'll be more happy with a WiFi that has better penetration for both drywall and blockwall, and can handle >3 walls with ease while keeping decent speeds.

Nowadays they're promoting faster speeds that can only work in the same room, and as soon as you move to the next room speed will dip to the seventh Earth.

And all these new solutions cost a lot, spending $200+ on a single AP is hilarious when you need more than one to get good coverage.

I hope the next WiFi standard will focus more on penetration while maintaining speed, they're focusing so much on the 5GHz bands and the new 6GHz. We want more speed in the 2.4GHz bands and accelerate the 900MHz adoptions with much faster speeds, not just for IoT, but for consumer devices as well. I mean when we're in a hard to reach spot in our property we just need things that works, no need for gigabit, a stable 100-200mb is enough for most people.

 

[fibre]

sure, use 370 MHz channel and gobble up all available frequencies. Not useful for outdoor use, since some weather radars use certain channels

 

[Chrispy_]

While I like faster WiFi, I'll be more happy with a WiFi that has better penetration for both drywall and blockwall, and can handle >3 walls with ease while keeping decent speeds.

Nowadays they're promoting faster speeds that can only work in the same room, and as soon as you move to the next room speed will dip to the seventh Earth.

And all these new solutions cost a lot, spending $200+ on a single AP is hilarious when you need more than one to get good coverage.

I hope the next WiFi standard will focus more on penetration while maintaining speed, they're focusing so much on the 5GHz bands and the new 6GHz. We want more speed in the 2.4GHz bands and accelerate the 900MHz adoptions with much faster speeds, not just for IoT, but for consumer devices as well. I mean when we're in a hard to reach spot in our property we just need things that works, no need for gigabit, a stable 100-200mb is enough for most people.

Penetration is more important than speed. Mobile networks go down to 800MHz and they'll work in an elevator surrounded by three feet of concrete as you are in a sealed steel box.

Honestly, if we could get close to Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n 600Mbps) theoretical speeds with reliable latency and enough penetration that a single access point could serve your typical residential property, I think 99.x% of the population would be very happy with it.

5GHz and presumably 6GHz is useless the minute you leave the room, which is why mega-expensive mesh networks are needed with so many access points.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Penetration is more important than speed. Mobile networks go down to 800MHz and they'll work in an elevator surrounded by three feet of concrete as you are in a sealed steel box.

Honestly, if we could get close to Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n 600Mbps) theoretical speeds with reliable latency and enough penetration that a single access point could serve your typical residential property, I think 99.x% of the population would be very happy with it.

5GHz and presumably 6GHz is useless the minute you leave the room, which is why mega-expensive mesh networks are needed with so many access points.

The upside of the shorter range of 5 and 6 GHz signals, is that you're not going to have massive interference from your neighbours like you do on the 2.4 GHz band, since most people don't have the faintest clue about how to configure their WiFi channels to cause as little interference as possible.

 

[Batailleuse]

It's worse than that - all of these tests that show WiFi6 (and Wifi5) to be only a fraction of their stated speed in the real world also use 5GHz and 5GHz is shit at penetrating walls. Performance absolutely plummets off a cliff the minute you move to a different room because 5GHz is both short range and troubled by simple things like doorways.

So, unless you're in the same room as your fancy new WiFi 7 router you might be better off using 2.4GHz, which gets nowhere near the same bandwidth as multi-channel 5GHz.

I don't really care, even good wifi is worthless compared to a 2.5GbE USB adapter and I can suffer the inconvenience of having to plug in if it turns a 3-hour job into a 10-minute job.

That's why nowadays you need to buy a mesh network.

Just buy a 3-5 pack at once for your house, it will eliminate most of the loss of 5ghz.

If you buy a single router it's really not much for a big surface.

i have a Wifi6 mesh with 1000Mbps internet and i can cap my internet speed over wifi, no problem on most my devices (laptop/desktop) and my phones doesn't have wifi 6 but it can do about 300Mbps out of the 1000mbps of my internet. which is fine. not like i have to download dozen of gb upon gb on my phone daily

house here is a mix of Mesh + cables, basically the mesh communicates in wifi between different areas of the house and every computer (3 desktops) in the house is wired to the mesh repeater, every portable device (5 phones, 3 tablets, 2 laptops) is on the wifi, everyone gets pretty much all the speed they need.

 

[windwhirl]

The upside of the shorter range of 5 and 6 GHz signals, is that you're not going to have massive interference from your neighbours like you do on the 2.4 GHz band, since most people don't have the faintest clue about how to configure their WiFi channels to cause as little interference as possible.

It hardly matters if you have neighbors below, above and around you (nearly every apartment ever) . There aren't enough, well separated channels in those cases. Though the lack of penetration from 5 GHz wifi could make up for that? Since it would have a harder time penetrating walls, you'd get less interference?? You'd need mesh, though, and maybe some time to configure the appropriate signal power so that it doesn't try to constantly connect to an AP that is within range but too far to be stable and fast enough.

 

[TheLostSwede]

It hardly matters if you have neighbors below, above and around you (nearly every apartment ever) . There aren't enough, well separated channels in those cases. Though the lack of penetration from 5 GHz wifi could make up for that? Since it would have a harder time penetrating walls, you'd get less interference?? You'd need mesh, though, and maybe some time to configure the appropriate signal power so that it doesn't try to constantly connect to an AP that is within range but too far to be stable and fast enough.

Well, yes, but by co-ordinating the 2.4 GHz band, there are ways to at least reduce interference, unlike how it is today when people don't understand how to select WiFi channels and just pick something random.

I can see three other 5 GHz networks and the signal is so weak that neither would cause any interference and only one is sharing the same frequency range.
On the 2.4 GHz band there are a dozen other networks I can see and some clever people are using overlapping channels, which are guaranteed to cause interference.
Keep in mind that I live in something like a terraced house and not in a flat and if it's this bad here, I dread to know how it is for people who live in high-density housing.

WiFi 7 is meant to automagically work around some of these problems, using things like AIP and AFC.
AFC seems to be for commercial installations only, as it requires some kind of cloud service to coordinate the frequencies used, but it would be nice if that was an option for consumers as well.

 

[Athlonite]

This is great, i can use this with my 50Mb internet

Since when did the NBN get that good

 

[watzupken]

Meanwhile most don't have decent 100Mbps internet access, and in many places there are restrictions on the maximum volume of data per month... this 2867576gbps advertisement is very pretty on paper. There is not even infrastructure for everyone to have access to such speeds. period.

I agree. On paper, the numbers look impressive. But globally, I wonder how many countries have that kind of infrastructure to allow such high bandwidth. Also, there are too many factors that affects wireless performance. I've used Wifi 6 routers/ mesh systems for quite a number of years, and I've never ever seen my Wifi 6 capable devices running anywhere near the theoretical speed, even if the device is less than 2 meters away from the router. Connecting the devices with a LAN cable and I can immediately observe a 30% jump in transfer rate and latency.

 

[Mussels]

Since when did the NBN get that good

Prior to my divorce i had 130Mb on FTTN, it was glorious
Skip on 10 years and i'm in a newer house in the same suburb... 60Mb.

An election is coming so news leaked out that we're due to get FTTP... maybe. Eventually.

 

[windwhirl]

An election is coming so news leaked out that we're due to get FTTP... maybe. Eventually.

"Vote me and you'll get that sweet, sweeeeet Gigabit internet you have always wanted"

 

[Athlonite]

An election is coming so news leaked out that we're due to get FTTP... maybe. Eventually.

Oh yeah FTTP is the only way to go and the only reason I can get upito 8Gb up/down currently sitting on 2Gb up/down and that's good enough for me