Short answer: on Windows, run netsh wlan show drivers and look at the supported radio types: 802.11ax means Wi-Fi 6 (or 6E), 802.11be means Wi-Fi 7. For iPhones, iPads and Macs, Apple publishes a list of which models support Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. For Android phones and most other devices, the maker’s specification page is the reliable place to check. Wi-Fi 6E is simply Wi-Fi 6 that can also use the 6 GHz band, so look for “6 GHz” in the specs.
First, decode the names
The Wi-Fi Alliance gave the technical standards simple names: Wi-Fi 6 is 802.11ax and Wi-Fi 5 is 802.11ac. Wi-Fi 6E isn’t a separate standard; it’s the name for Wi-Fi 6 devices that can use the 6 GHz band. Wi-Fi 7 is 802.11be.
| You see | It means |
|---|---|
| 802.11ac | Wi-Fi 5 |
| 802.11ax | Wi-Fi 6, or Wi-Fi 6E if 6 GHz is supported |
| 802.11be | Wi-Fi 7 |
For what each generation adds, see Wi-Fi standards explained.
On a Windows PC
- Open Command Prompt.
- Run
netsh wlan show drivers. - Find the line listing the radio types supported.
If it includes 802.11be, the adapter supports Wi-Fi 7. Microsoft notes that Wi-Fi 7 on Windows also needs Windows 11 version 24H2 or later. If the best it lists is 802.11ax, it’s Wi-Fi 6 or 6E.
To tell Wi-Fi 6 from 6E, look up your Wi-Fi adapter’s model on its maker’s specification page. Intel’s AX210, for example, lists 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands; that 6 GHz entry is what makes it a 6E card.
On an iPhone, iPad or Mac
Apple keeps a support page listing which of its devices can use Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 networks. It includes, for example, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and later Pro models, MacBook Air models from 2024, and recent MacBook Pro, iMac and iPad Pro models, with some exceptions such as the standard iPhone 15. Check your exact model against that list; the model name is in Settings, General, About on an iPhone or iPad, and in About This Mac on a Mac.
On an Android phone or anything else
Android tracks the Wi-Fi standard of each connection and makes it available to apps; a connection only counts as Wi-Fi 7 when both the phone and the access point support it. There’s no single place every phone maker shows this, so the dependable check is the phone’s specification page: look for “Wi-Fi 7” or “802.11be”, or “Wi-Fi 6E” or “6 GHz”.
The same goes for TVs, consoles and smart-home gadgets: search the model number with “specifications” on the maker’s site. If a smart-home device won’t connect at all, its supported bands usually matter more than its Wi-Fi generation; see can’t connect to Wi-Fi.
What to do with the answer
- Deciding between generations: Wi-Fi 6 vs Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 6E vs Wi-Fi 7.
- Upgrading a desktop PC instead: the best Wi-Fi 7 adapters.
- Understanding the bands themselves: 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz.