Whatever Microsoft says, you can already benefit from the impressive speeds of WiFi 7 with Windows 11

Microsoft announced in a blog post that WiFi 7 would be supported by Windows 11 in a version that will be deployed in the fall. However, we have been testing WiFi 7 with Windows 11 for several weeks, and have been able to take advantage of the speeds offered by the new standard.

The Wi-Fi Alliance ratified the 802.11be wireless standard, better known as Wi-Fi 7, at the start of 2024. The opportunity for manufacturers to announce their devices compatible and certified with the new standard.

Windows 11, not compatible with wifi 7?

In a blog post regarding future versions of Windows 11, Microsoft states that it has added support for WiFi 7 in build 26063. This version of Windows 11 is intended for the general public at Autumn.

A strange statement to say the least since Windows 11 already supports WiFi 7 as long as you install the drivers. ad hoc. Thus at Intel, the main supplier of WiFi 7 chips, particularly with the BE200 chip, the drivers have been available since the end of 2023 and updated regularly. As for laptop manufacturers, some brands are starting to equip their models with WiFi 7 chips like the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo that we tested.

No need to wait until fall to enjoy WiFi 7 on Windows 11

Microsoft probably wanted to mention the integration of wifi 7 drivers from different manufacturers (Qualcomm, Mediatek, Intel etc.) in Windows 11 so that the chips are recognized during the installation process, which allows you to avoid manual installation of the necessary drivers.

For our part, wifi 7 is perfectly functional under Windows 11 23H2. We have just finished our test of the TP-Link Deco BE85 wifi 7 mesh kit and we have already given you an overview of the speeds achieved with the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo, another model equipped with… ™a wifi chip 7.