Materials & Methods
*Of note, following tests were all conducted using internet speed test rather than iPerf. Having said this, since ethernet internet speed was higher than any of the result below, I believe bottleneck is within the Wi-Fi rather than internet. However, in general iPerf (local speed test) can have a bit higher throughput than online speed test though not necessary reflective of most user’s daily experience.
For this test of comparing WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 access points, I’ve placed UniFi HD access point next to the Ax11000 AiMesh node. Both were alternatively connected to Ax11000 router via Cat 6 cable connected ethernet jack.
Xfinity speed test was to measure the speed. The speed tests were conducted at two spots. For the peak performance measurement, the tests were conducted right next to the access point. For the distance/range performance test, the tests were conducted at the opposite corner in the same room located approximately 30 ft away from the access point with clear line of sight from the access point.
All measurements were repeated at least 3 times consecutively to take the average for consistency. If one number appear significantly lower i.e. 100 Mbps+, I tried to give couple more try until the result start to appear more stable.
For this test, I used 3 client devices including Wifi 6 2×2 MIMO iPhone 11 Pro, Wifi 5 2×2 MIMO iPad 11 Pro (2018) and Wifi 5 3×3 MIMO MacBook Pro 15” (2016).
Throughout this test, I am evaluating peak performance of the access point so 5GHz band is the only one I tested here. 2.4 GHz is far slower and has more variation in speed.
| MBP 15’’ 2016 | iPad Pro 11’’ (2018) | iPhone 11 Pro | |
| Wi-Fi version | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| MIMO | 3×3 | 2×2 | 2×2 |
Results
Average speed gain were calculated as followings:
- % Avg Speed Gain Peak Performance = (UniFi Average Speed Next to Access Point – Asus Average Speed Next to Access Point) / Asus Average Speed Next to Access Point
- % Avg Speed Gain Range Performance = (UniFi Average Speed 30 ft away – Asus Average Speed 30 ft away) / Asus Average Speed 30 ft away
