Will my service support a WIFI 6/AX router?

[Atlas270]

Hey guys,

I'm pretty new to the different types of WIFI's and I recently discovered AX routers and how WIFI 6 is compared to WIFI 5 and prior. My family is currently Xfinity customers with one of their default AC routers. We're paying for the most expensive available service however it's still slow due to all the devices connected. I called in to see if upgrading to an AX router would be a compatible fix and to see if my service would support WIFI 6, however, the inquiry help members didn't seem to know what WIFI 6 even was. 

 

Main point question:

I just wanna know if upgrading to an AX router was as easy as unplugging the old one and setting up the new one or if I'd have to wait for Xfinity to have a wifi compatible service. 

[WereCatf]

6 minutes ago, Atlas270 said:

Main point question:

I just wanna know if upgrading to an AX router was as easy as unplugging the old one and setting up the new one or if I'd have to wait for Xfinity to have a wifi compatible service. 

It should work, but you wouldn't see any benefit from it: the devices connecting to the new router would also have to support WiFi6 to actually get the benefits from it. Otherwise all those devices would still continue to work at the same speeds as they do now.

[Atlas270]

5 hours ago, WereCatf said:

It should work, but you wouldn't see any benefit from it: the devices connecting to the new router would also have to support WiFi6 to actually get the benefits from it. Otherwise all those devices would still continue to work at the same speeds as they do now.

But in the sense of the router being able to allocate different amounts of bandwidth to different users at once would still work fine, no? or would it work as WiFi 5 had, where only one device would get data at once?

[WereCatf]

1 hour ago, Atlas270 said:

But in the sense of the router being able to allocate different amounts of bandwidth to different users at once would still work fine, no? or would it work as WiFi 5 had, where only one device would get data at once?

Only devices that support WiFi6 will get the benefits of WiFi6, everything else will work the same as it does now.

[Donut417]

18 hours ago, Atlas270 said:

We're paying for the most expensive available service however

You got the 2 Gbps Fiber? If not then you dont have the most expensive service they offer for residential. Just saying..... 

 

18 hours ago, Atlas270 said:

however it's still slow due to all the devices connected

How many devices are connected? How many are in use at one time? What type of traffic? Where is the gateway located vs the devices trying to connect? 

 

18 hours ago, Atlas270 said:

I called in to see if upgrading to an AX router would be a compatible fix and to see if my service would support WIFI 6, however, the inquiry help members didn't seem to know what WIFI 6 even was. 

They dont hire the sharpest tools in the shed. Been with Xfinity for decades, have figured out how to troubleshoot and fix my own service. PLUS they already invested lots in their XFi equipment, I highly doubt we will see AX equipment any time soon from any ISP. 

 

18 hours ago, Atlas270 said:

I just wanna know if upgrading to an AX router was as easy as unplugging the old one and setting up the new one or if I'd have to wait for Xfinity to have a wifi compatible service. 

The router is not the issue. Most people just take the equipment Xfinity gives them. Which is generally $13 a month in rental fees. What Xfinity gives you is a gateway. A modem and router in one. You have several options. 

 

1. Buy AX router and connect it to Xfinity box, disable WiFi on Xfinity box. Easiest method. BUT you will have issues with Double NAT, and still have to pay a rental fee
2. Buy AX router connect it to Xifnity Box, but put Xfinity box in Bridge mode (Making it a modem only), only down side is your still paying the rental fee
3. Buy a Gateway yourself that has AX, dont think this exists.
4. Buy a Docsis modem. Depending on your speed tier will depend on what you need. 24x8 modems will work on most speed tiers, however if you have Gigabit, then its going to need to be a Docsis 3.1 modem. Then you buy a router with AX. This is the most expensive solution. You can find a list of compatible  modems/gateways on Xfinity's website. 

 

Other thoughts

 

Most devices will NOT support WiFI 6 as of yet. Desktops and Laptops can be upgraded. BUT Phones, tablets, TVs and streaming sticks cant. You also need to determine if your having WiFI issues vs internet issues. On top of that you need to make sure your WiFI AP is in the right spot to get the signal where it needs to go.