WiFi 8 is coming

[xiaofan]

Same for the Tower Shape flagship TP-Link Archer WiFi 7 routers like Archer BE900/BE800 (except the SFP+ port) and Archer BE805.

Again size does matter.

 

[KeYoKe]

So far I cannot find good reports of overheating for Asus BCM4916 CPU based WiFi 7 router, including the big ROG GT-BE98 (quad band, dual 10G ports) and the "smallest" RT-BE86U (dual band, single 10G port).

So size does matter for thermal.

Yup. Size indeed matters. You see the size of UCG Cloud fiber vs ER8411 Omada, so drastic difference.

Also, the USW XG PRO 8 POE vs SX3206HPP. ubiquiti one consists of 8 POE++ 10G ports, 2 SFP+ 10G ports while the latter only 4 POE++ 10G ports, 2 SFP+ 10G ports.... Form factor more or less the same.... So you will know which is hot af

I myself is attracted by the form factor of Ubiquiti tbh. So compact compared to Omada, till I experience the heat they produced. Totally change my view on them

 

[limmk]

Wi-Fi 8 demonstrated with first prototype connection

The new standard aims to provide improved stability for devices in congested networks. The Verge

It feels like the rollout of Wi-Fi 7 is barely out of the gate, but TP-Link is already making advancements towards the next generation of connectivity. The company announced on Monday that it has successfully tested an early prototype of Wi-Fi 8 hardware, marking a “critical milestone” in its development.

While the test is light on details, TP-Link says it has validated the Wi-Fi 8 (802.11bn) beacon and data transfer capabilities, proving its viability for future consumer products. The prototype hardware was developed through a “joint industry partnership,” according to TP-Link, and the company expects consumer devices to be available ahead of the standard being ratified, which the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) expects to be finalized by 2028.

In a July blog post breaking down the new standard, Qualcomm explains that Wi-Fi 8 aims to keep devices online and stable, rather than chasing faster speeds. Like its predecessor, Wi-Fi 8 will utilize 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands with a theoretical maximum channel bandwidth of 320MHz and peak data rate of 23Gbps, but aims to improve real-world performance and connection reliability.


This Qualcomm graphic shows the developmental focus behind the last few generations of Wi-Fi standard. Image: Qualcomm

The goal is to provide better performance in environments with low signal, or under high network loads, where an increasing number of devices are sharing the same connection. Wi-Fi 8 can theoretically manage more devices at once, and reduce lag when positioned further away from your router or moving around your home. That should provide users with a smoother gaming and streaming experience, and prevent freezes, drops, and “robot voice” from occurring during video calls.

“Wi-Fi 8 marks a fundamental pivot — moving beyond peak speeds to prioritize reliable performance in challenging real-world conditions,” Qualcomm said. “It’s designed to bring Wi-Fi closer than ever to the reliability and responsiveness of wired infrastructure.”

// The Verge

 

[firesong]

Actually there are also many reports over the internet claiming U6 Pro is hot ...

There are, but it's not U7 Pro level hot, which is not XG level hot.

 

[firesong]

So far I cannot find good reports of overheating for Asus BCM4916 CPU based WiFi 7 router, including the big ROG GT-BE98 (quad band, dual 10G ports) and the "smallest" RT-BE86U (dual band, single 10G port).

So size does matter for thermal.

For home use, perhaps negligible. But the performance the corporate gear shines when it's put in more taxing situations. Also, it's optimised differently.

 

[xiaofan]

Broadcom Introduces Industry’s First Wi-Fi 8 Silicon Ecosystem Powering the AI Era

https://investors.broadcom.com/news...ces-industrys-first-wi-fi-8-silicon-ecosystem

PARIS, Oct. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) today announced the industry’s first Wi-Fi 8 silicon solutions for the broadband wireless edge ecosystem including residential gateways, enterprise access points, and smart mobile clients.

...


The new family of Wi-Fi 8 solutions include:

• BCM6718 designed for residential and operator access applications
• BCM43840 and BCM43820 are tailored for enterprise access applications
• BCM43109 for edge wireless clients such as smartphones, laptops, tablets and automotive

...

Availability

Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 8 silicon is currently sampling to select partners, and the IP is currently available for licensing. Contact your local Broadcom sales representative for samples and pricing. For more information on Broadcom Wi-Fi 8, please click here.
...

 

[xiaofan]

Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 8 Silicon Family

Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 8 ecosystem product portfolio includes BCM6718, BCM43840, BCM43820, and BCM43109.

The BCM6718 is optimized for the residential Wi-Fi access point market. Key features include:

• Four-stream Wi-Fi 8 radio
• BroadStream wireless telemetry engine for AI training/inference
• BroadStream intelligent packet scheduler maximizing QoE
• Receiver sensitivity enhancements enabling faster uploads
• Advanced eco modes resulting in up to 30% greater energy efficiency
• Third-generation digital pre-distortion reducing peak power by 25%
• Full compliance to IEEE 802.11bn and WFA Wi-Fi 8 specifications

The BCM43840 and BCM43820 are optimized for the enterprise Wi-Fi access point market. Key features include:

• BCM43840 – four-stream Wi-Fi 8 radio
• BCM43820 – two-stream scanning and analytics Wi-Fi 8 radio
• BroadStream wireless telemetry engine for AI training/inference
• Advanced location tracking capability
• Advanced eco modes resulting in 30% greater energy efficiency
• Third-generation digital pre-distortion reducing peak power by 25%
• Full compliance to IEEE 802.11bn and WFA Wi-Fi 8 specifications

The BCM43109 is a highly integrated Wi-Fi 8, high-bandwidth Bluetooth, and 802.15.4 combo chip optimized for mobile handset applications. Key features include:

• Two-stream Wi-Fi 8 radio with 320 MHz channel support
• Enhanced Long Range (ELR) Wi-Fi
• Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) for latency reduction
• Improved Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) coding to extend gigabit coverage
• Bluetooth 6.0 high data throughput and higher bands support
• 802.15.4 support including Thread V1.4 and Zigbee Pro
• Sensing and secure ranging
• Full compliance to IEEE 802.11bn and WFA Wi-Fi 8 specifications

 

[xiaofan]

Wow, this is quite a bit earlier than expected.

Let's wait for the WiFi 8 announcement from Qualcomm and MediaTek which may be more interesting.

 

[xiaofan]

Wow, this is quite a bit earlier than expected.

But one thing missing from Broadcom now is the upgrade to the BCM4916 CPU (a bit old, 16 nm process).

So the solution for the triband home WiFi 8 router design will still be using BCM4916 as the CPU, three BCM6718 ICs for WiFi (4*4 for 2.4GHz, 4*4 for 5GHz and 4*4 for 6GHz), plus one BCM84991 to support the second 10Gbe port.

Total combined wireless bandwidth will be 19000 Mbps, no change from a triband 4*4 WiFi 7 router like Asus RT-BE96U (BCM4916 CPU, two BCM6726 for 2.4GHz/5GHz and one BCM67263 for 6GHz, plus one BCM84891 for the second 10Gbe port) or TP-Link Archer BE800 (Qualcomm IPQ9574 chipset) or TP-Link Archer BE805 (MediaTek Filogic 880 chipset).

They can of course do quad band as well, similar to Asus ROG GT-BE98 and TP-Link Archer BE800.

Reference:
https://www.broadcom.com/products/wireless/wireless-lan-infrastructure

 

[xiaofan]

Wow, this is quite a bit earlier than expected.

Let's wait for the WiFi 8 announcement from Qualcomm and MediaTek which may be more interesting.

More insight here why Broadcom announces WiFi 8 chipset so early.

The article mentioned the draft 1 of WiFi 8 Draft 1.0 specification is already out.

https://wifinowglobal.com/uncategor...arrives-very-early-with-broadcom-and-tp-link/

IDC Research Director Phil Solis argues that the reason why it is possible to kickstart evolution to Wi-Fi 8 this early is because required changes in the physical layer are relatively minor. “The changes on Wi-Fi 8 are a collection of many minor changes, not anything drastic like the shift to MIMO with Wi-Fi 4, the shift to OFDMA with Wi-Fi 6, or the shift to the 6 GHz band with Wi-Fi 6E,” Phil Solis says in LinkedIn post comment here.

 

[Henry Ng]

Yes, when WiFi 8 is available (2028).

This is not because of WiFi 8 is much faster than WiFi 7 in terms of speed, since WiFi 8 is more about reliability and better roaming, not absolute near range speed.

1) Many more devices will support 6GHz and 320 MHz channel bandwidth, so it is easy to get above 2Gbps or 3Gbps WiFi speed.

2) MLO will get more mature. So you may see improvement on near range but more at far range.

3) 5Gbps and 10 Gbps plans will be the dominate plan and more routers will be compatible with 10Gbe, so your top wireless Internet speed will not be limited by the 1Gbps/3Gbps plan, or the 1Gbe/2.5Gbe LAN ports. So you will see 3Gbps WiFi speed becomes very common.

2028 very far away.

 

[hereiam7788]

The good thing is that MR8300 is supported by OpenWRT.
https://openwrt.org/toh/linksys/mr8300

Linksys Singapore does not seem to support MR8300 any more. So you may need to upgrade if you don't want to change to OpenWRT.

https://support.linksys.com/kb/article/434-en/

Minimum Support Period for Security Updates (Singapore)

​

Product	End of Security Support*
E9450-SG	January 2027
MX4200SH-SG	January 2027
E8450-AH	February 2027
E7350-AH	February 2027
MX2001SH-SG	August 2027
MX5500 series	March 2027
MX4200-AH MX8400-AH MX12600-AH	March 2027
FGW3000-AH	March 2027
WHW030X-AH	April 2027
MX200X-AH	April 2027
MX4200 v2	September 2027
FGW5500 series	March 2028
MX6200-AH	December 2030
LN1400	June 2031
LN1100 v2	June 2031
LN1200 v2	June 2031
MBE70	June 2031
MR55WH	June 2031
MBE7000	July 2031

*Linksys will provide security updates for the products listed. Unless otherwise noted, the End of Security Support final day will be the last day of the month. Check the Linksys Support website for the most up-to-date information.

Cool.

I actually have 3 units of the mr8300 which currently I only used 2 becos they are enough to cover my entire unit.

So once I flash to openwrt I cannot refer back?

besides, what is the advantage of flashing to openWRT?

 

[xiaofan]

Cool.

I actually have 3 units of the mr8300 which currently I only used 2 becos they are enough to cover my entire unit.

So once I flash to openwrt I cannot refer back?

besides, what is the advantage of flashing to openWRT?

Better security is probably the most important this time as your home network is at great risk if it is confirmed that it is out of security support.

There are other benefits for OpenWRT like more FW features. But the roaming setup may take some efforts.

For LinkSys routers, it is easy to switch between OpenWRT and stock FW. You can try it on your spare unit first to see if the wireless performance is similar to stock FW or not.
https://openwrt.org/toh/linksys/mr8300#debricking

Hmm, Linksys Global Site does say MR8300 is EOLed but still supported for security issues until 20-Sep-2027. So you may not be worried as of now if you trust that Linksys will not be out of the consumer WiFi router market soon (they are more or less out of Singapore market already).
https://www.linksys.com/pages/linksys-product-end-of-life

SKU Number	Description	Model Number	SKU Region	Lifecycle Phase	End of Life Date	End of Support Date
MR8300	LINKSYS MR8300 MESH WIFI ROUTER,AC2200,MU-MIMO	MR8300	USA	End of Life	11-Dec-2023	9-Dec-2028
MR8300-AH	LINKSYS MR8300 MESH WIFI ROUTER,AC2200,MU-MIMO	MR8300	Asia	End of Life	21-Sep-2022	20-Sep-2027
MR8300-CA	LINKSYS MR8300 MESH WIFI ROUTER,AC2200,MU-MIMO	MR8300	Canada	End of Life	11-Dec-2023	9-Dec-2028
MR8300-CN	LINKSYS MR8300 MESH WIFI ROUTER,AC2200,MU-MIMO	MR8300	Asia	End of Life	21-Sep-2022	20-Sep-2027

 

[hereiam7788]

Better security is probably the most important this time as your home network is at great risk if it is confirmed that it is out of security support.

There are other benefits for OpenWRT like more FW features. But the roaming setup may take some efforts.

For LinkSys routers, it is easy to switch between OpenWRT and stock FW. You can try it on your spare unit first to see if the wireless performance is similar to stock FW or not.
https://openwrt.org/toh/linksys/mr8300#debricking

Hmm, Linksys Global Site does say MR8300 is EOLed but still supported for security issues until 20-Sep-2027. So you may not be worried as of now if you trust that Linksys will not be out of the market soon (they are more or less out of Singapore market already).
https://www.linksys.com/pages/linksys-product-end-of-life

SKU Number	Description	Model Number	SKU Region	Lifecycle Phase	End of Life Date	End of Support Date
MR8300	LINKSYS MR8300 MESH WIFI ROUTER,AC2200,MU-MIMO	MR8300	USA	End of Life	11-Dec-2023	9-Dec-2028
MR8300-AH	LINKSYS MR8300 MESH WIFI ROUTER,AC2200,MU-MIMO	MR8300	Asia	End of Life	21-Sep-2022	20-Sep-2027
MR8300-CA	LINKSYS MR8300 MESH WIFI ROUTER,AC2200,MU-MIMO	MR8300	Canada	End of Life	11-Dec-2023	9-Dec-2028
MR8300-CN	LINKSYS MR8300 MESH WIFI ROUTER,AC2200,MU-MIMO	MR8300	Asia	End of Life	21-Sep-2022	20-Sep-2027

icic, thanks bro for all the info. they are really useful.

just one more qns, while u said "But the roaming setup may take some efforts", are u referring to the mesh function of the router?

as mr8300 is a mesh wifi router, it should be able to add other mr8300 as nodes to extend the mesh network, so i wonder by flashing to openWRT, will it actually break this mesh capability? or it makes the mesh function worse?

 

[xiaofan]

icic, thanks bro for all the info. they are really useful.

just one more qns, while u said "But the roaming setup may take some efforts", are u referring to the mesh function of the router?

as mr8300 is a mesh wifi router, it should be able to add other mr8300 as nodes to extend the mesh network, so i wonder by flashing to openWRT, will it actually break this mesh capability? or it makes the mesh function worse?

OpenWRT supports seamless roaming, even with different brands, but the setup may not be as seamless as Linksys.

https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/network/wifi/roaming

In your particular case, you can actually set up OpenWRT on the spare MR8300 and use it as the main router for better security and FW feature (disable the WiFi function ).

Then change your current main MR8300 to AP (bridge) mode and continue to use your mesh without other changes.

Linksys Mesh in AP (bridge) mode:
https://support.linksys.com/kb/article/319-en/

 

[xiaofan]

2028 very far away.

Looks like it will be a bit earlier in 2027, but the initial batch may be only for high end 10G capable triband and quad-band ones.

1. WiFi 7

First WiFi 7 chipset was announced in April 2022 by Broadcom.
https://www.broadcom.com/company/news/product-releases/60186

First consumer WiFi 7 router was announced in Nov 2022 by TP-Link ( TP-Link Archer BE800). It is only available in the market in early 2023 together.
https://www.tp-link.com/us/press/news/20273/

Standard certification testing only started in Jan 2024,
https://www.wi-fi.org/news-events/newsroom/wi-fi-alliance-introduces-wi-fi-certified-7

WiFi 7 routers become quite accessible in early 2025 -- affordable triband WiFi 7 routers are available in early 2025 (eg: TP-Liink Archer BE805, HB710 and EB810v). Cheaper dual band WiFi 7 routers appeared earlier in 2024 (eg: TP-Link Archer BE230)

2. WiFi 8

First WiFi 7 chipset was announced in Oct 2025 by Broadcom.
https://www.broadcom.com/company/ne...-wifi-8-silicon-ecosystem-powering-the-ai-era

<The following is just my estimagtion>
First consumer WiFi 7 router may well be announced in 2026 by TP-Link and other vendors like Asus and Netgear. TP-Link announced that the first WiFi 8 router prototype being tested in Oct 2025.

Standard certification testing may only start somewhere in 2027 or at the latest Jan 2028.

WiFi 8 routers will probably become quite accessible in late 2028 and early 2029. Cheaper dual band WiFi 7 router may alreadybe available in early 2028 (or even earlier).
<end of my estimation>

 

[xiaofan]

Vendor announcement:
https://www.sercomm.com/en/news/3/428

News article:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/the-f...lt-by-a-company-youve-probably-never-heard-of

While major players such as TP-Link and Qualcomm have demonstrated early versions of the 802.11bn standard, one lesser-known manufacturer has become the first to announce physical hardware built around it.

Sercomm, a Taiwanese broadband and telecom equipment maker, has announced its first Wi-Fi 8 platform in partnership with Broadcom.

 

[limmk]

It feels like Wi-Fi 7 connectivity is only starting to get a foothold in the devices we use daily. You might not have noticed either, as the majority of devices available use fewer antennas, limiting their maximum throughput. But the next major version, Wi-Fi 8 (IEEE 802.11bn), has been in development since 2021, and it's not far from appearing in consumer devices.

If you're an early adopter, you're already waiting for the first devices so you can add them to your home. But if you're on the other side of the fence and usually roll your eyes at the supposed benefits of new Wi-Fi versions, Wi-Fi 8 is worth another look. It's a departure from the usual speed-chasing, focusing on Ultra High Reliability (UHR) above all else for consistent real-world performance, stability, and low latency, wherever you use it.

What do we already know about Wi-Fi 8?​

A renewed focus on reliability and stability is key​

It could be said that Wi-Fi numbers are functionally useless, because there are so many other factors that determine maximum throughput that most real-world situations won't get anywhere near them. But Wi-Fi 8 might buck that trend, as it's been designed to improve the speeds Wi-Fi 7 already offers, with a big focus on usability and stability in real-world scenarios where earlier Wi-Fi falls flat.

[Wi-Fi 8 is] a departure from the usual speed-chasing, focusing on Ultra High Reliability (UHR) above all else for consistent real-world performance, stability, and low latency, wherever you use it.

To do that, Wi-Fi 8 keeps a common core with Wi-Fi 7:

• Frequency Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz
• Maximum Channel Bandwidth: 320 MHz
• Modulation: 4096-QAM
• Spatial Streams: Up to 8
• Theoretical Peak Rate: 23 Gbps
• Multi-Link Operation (MLO): Enhanced from Wi-Fi 7

But then it builds in resiliency, reducing jitter, latency spikes, and connectivity issues. That could translate to up to 25% better throughput in challenging signal conditions, such as in a stadium or shopping mall with many clients attached to the network. Add in better hand-off between access points, leading to 25% fewer dropped packets, and it all adds up to a better user experience.

What new features are coming?​

Better beamforming, QoS improvements, and more​

To hit these impressive consistency goals, Wi-Fi 8 has a few tricks up its sleeve. Multi-Access Point Coordination (MAPC) is probably the most important, enabling your access points in a mesh network to communicate with each other so that interference is minimized, and spectrum usage is optimized. That expands on the features added in Wi-Fi 6 like OFDMA, and the 6GHz band added in Wi-Fi 6E, and MLO in Wi-Fi 7 to make an overall better signal for your devices.

Some of the other new features that are coming include:

• Coordinated Spatial Reuse (Co-SR): Enables multiple access points to transmit simultaneously on the same channel, adjusting transmission power based on device proximity
• Coordinated Beamforming (Co-BF): MIMO and beamforming has long been a powerful tool for Wi-Fi throughput, but now it extends between access points, so your phone or other device could get data streams from multiple sources at once
• Dynamic Sub-Channel Operation (DSO): We all have some legacy devices that can't utilize the whole 320MHz channel, and with this new feature, the router can "chop up" the channel to fit multiple 80MHz devices (or other channel width numbers) into a single channel to reduce congestion
• Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA): Allows data transmission on secondary channels when the primary is congested
• Distributed Resource Units (dRU): Targets low-power indoor devices that use the 6GHz band to increase uplink power for more reliable connectivity at larger distances
• New Quality of Service improvements: This will make Bluetooth interference less of an issue, improve channel acces for high-priority packets, and enable video conferencing packets to interrupt existing transmissions if they're on the network

Oh, and you know the mmWave band for 5G mobile use? That's expected to come to Wi-Fi 8 as well, for ultra-low latency and high data rates, perfect for the short distances inside your home.

What will it be good for?​

Think of every device or application you currently use that requires low-latency communications. Looking around my office, I can see XR and VR glasses, video-calling equipment, a variety of smart home devices, gaming consoles, and a smart TV. These will all benefit from Wi-Fi 8, bringing more stable connections at the speeds Wi-Fi 7 can reach, but it's not just home users who will benefit.

In many ways, institutions like universities, large corporate campuses, and sports venues of all descriptions will benefit even more, as the connectivity improvements will make a greater difference in saturated wireless environments with thousands of devices connecting at once.

When will Wi-Fi 8 be available?​

Ah, time for some bad news​

It's still early days, but Broadcom already has Wi-Fi 8 chips being sampled for client integration into consumer devices. Expect Bluetooth 6 also to arrive when Wi-Fi 8 does, and based on the block diagrams of future routers, a higher prevalence of 10GbE ports for wired networking alongside the improved Wi-Fi 8 radios.

I expect that Wi-Fi 8-capable devices like smartphones, laptops, and routers to start showing up at the end of 2026, possibly early 2027. That lines up with roughly a year before the Wi-Fi Alliance approves the final version of the specification, and has been the case for the last few versions.

Wi-Fi 8 looks like it'll be worth waiting for​

The first draft of Wi-Fi 8 is already complete, and companies in the Wi-Fi Alliance will be tweaking it as we get closer to release. If you're happy with your current router, you've got a year or so before Wi-Fi 8 starts trickling onto the market to decide whether you want to keep waiting. I know I'll be eagerly awaiting its arrival, as speed means nothing without reliability, and that's why I've got so much of my house wired up. Wi-Fi 8 might actually be a solid complementary technology, offering similar throughput to wired networking for devices that don't have a wired Ethernet port.

// XDA