Your Wi Fi 7 Hardware Is Ready. Your Network Probably Isn’t.

Wi‑Fi 7 access points are hitting the market with promises of multi‑gig speeds, ultra‑low latency, and smooth connections for every device.

But without a matching network design, those features are just brochure text.

The reality: most environments aren’t ready for Wi‑Fi 6E/7, not because the hardware is bad, but because the supporting infrastructure is still stuck in the last decade.

Who’s in this boat? Higher ed campuses, hospitals, manufacturing plants. Any place rolling out next‑gen Wi‑Fi without redesigning how it’s deployed.

What's Actually Happening

Old cabling and switches -- Cat5e and outdated switches can’t handle multi‑gig throughput
Crowded 5 GHz bands -- 6 GHz spectrum sits unused because devices and policies aren’t ready
Coverage gaps -- Floorplans change, AP placement doesn’t
Underpowered backhaul -- Wireless speeds bottleneck at the wired side
No RF tuning -- Default settings ignore interference from IoT and building systems

Why the Upgrade Doesn’t Deliver

Wi‑Fi 7 isn’t plug‑and‑play. It relies on proper channel planning, 6 GHz enablement, and wired infrastructure that can push data as fast as the AP can pull it.

Too often, organizations swap in shiny new access points but leave the network fabric, switch uplinks, and RF planning untouched. The result? Speeds look great on paper but drop off in real use, especially in dense or interference‑heavy environments.

How to Actually Get Ready

Audit your wired network -- Verify cabling and switches can handle multi‑gig speeds
Enable 6 GHz where possible -- And plan for devices that can’t use it yet
Re‑design for density -- AP placement for Wi‑Fi 7 isn’t the same as Wi‑Fi 5
Segment your wireless -- Keep IoT and guest traffic away from critical systems
Run a readiness assessment -- Validate coverage, capacity, and backhaul before cutting over

The Bottom Line

Wi‑Fi 7 delivers on speed and capacity, but only if the rest of your network is ready to keep up.

The fastest AP in the world won’t fix a bottleneck two switches away.

If you’re planning a Wi‑Fi upgrade and want to know what’s really ready, and what’s not, we can help you find out before the cut‑over.

Stay connected,
The Packet Pulse Team