Unlock Wi‑Fi 6E Performance on Windows: One Simple Setting That Boosts Speed

Published Apr 27, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

Brady is a technology journalist for MakeUseOf with years of experience covering all things mobile, computing, and general tech. He has a focus on Android phones and audio gear, and holds a B.S. in Journalism from St. John's University.

Brady has written for publications like Android Central, Android Authority, XDA, Android Police, iMore, and others. He has experience reporting on major events held by Google, Apple, and Samsung, as well as trade shows like Lenovo Innovation World and IFA. 

When he's not writing about and testing the latest gadgets, you'll find Brady watching Big East basketball and running. 

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It's tempting to upgrade your router and connected devices to match the latest Wi-Fi connectivity standards, like Wi-Fi 7. The most recent crop of Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 versions have opened up the 6GHz band for wireless networking. By using a less congested band, these modern Wi-Fi specifications can deliver faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connections. That said, how do you know you're actually getting the fastest speeds supported by your internet plan, Wi-Fi router, and connected devices? You might think Windows 11 automatically uses the fastest Wi-Fi bands automatically, but that isn't the case by default.

There are a number of reasons why your Windows 11 PC might not be connecting to the 6GHz band of your wireless home network. For starters, make sure your laptop or desktop has a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 card, and confirm your network is using WPA3 security. After you've followed these basic troubleshooting steps, you might still see your Windows 11 PC connect to your Wi-Fi network using the 5GHz band — that means you're only getting Wi-Fi 6 speeds, not Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 speeds. I thought my Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro was giving all my devices Wi-Fi 6E connections until I spotted my Windows laptop using Wi-Fi 6 instead.

Luckily, there's a quick and easy way to guarantee that your Windows device uses the 6GHz networking band whenever possible. It's hidden behind a menu in the Device Manager, but once you change this toggle, you'll see your PC start to connect using Wi-Fi 6E every single time. This is a benefit you'll immediately notice — my speeds got instantly faster after prioritizing the 6GHz band.

Related

Why it doesn't look like your PC is using Wi-Fi 6E

Windows 11 shows Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E as one and the same

Wi-Fi specs are confusing to the average user, and that's why it can be hard to pinpoint whether your Windows device is using Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E. The two specifications are extremely similar. They both share the same theoretical 9.6Gbps maximum speed (you'll never see this in the real world, but it's a point of reference) and use an identical 802.11ax designation. Windows 11 shows networks as Wi-Fi 6 in the Wi-Fi settings page if they use either Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E. To spot which one is actually in use, you'll need to look for the band and channel width.

Wi-Fi 6E should use the 6GHz channel, while Wi-Fi 6 can only use the 2.4GHz or 5GHz channels. Additionally, you might see a higher channel width when using a Wi-Fi 6E network. These granular differences can be puzzling to the end user — the Wi-Fi 6 name might appear when you're connected to a Wi-Fi 6E network. So, you need to seek out the band in use, but even that isn't a foolproof sign. Wi-Fi 6E networks might use the 5GHz band instead of the 6GHz band by default. You might see a Wi-Fi 6 label and the 5GHz band active when your network is actually capable of Wi-Fi 6E speeds.

This scenario isn't just a possibility because it happened to me. I was testing the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI laptop and noticed that my network speeds weren't as fast as I'd expect from my Wi-Fi 6E, 1-Gigabit network. Then, I saw the dreaded 5GHz band in use for my 6GHz-capable wireless home network. I couldn't get my Windows laptop to connect with my network's 6GHz band until I changed one setting.

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This setting forces your PC to use Wi-Fi 6E

It's a hidden toggle in the Device Manager that forces the 6GHz band

The Wi-Fi connection settings in the main Windows 11 settings app are fairly limited, and the control panel toggles are even more basic. Microsoft tucks the best network tuning settings away inside the Device Manager app, which almost no one ever opens. Essentially, it shows all the hardware interfaces — both internal and external — connected to your Windows PC and offers toggles that help you customize how they work. I revealed the key to forcing my laptop to use the 6GHz band by opening the Device Manager app and selecting the Network adapters tab.

Here, you'll see all the networking-related hardware interfaces connected to your device, including your Wi-Fi card. Mine is the Intel(R) Wi-Fi 7 BE211 card, so I clicked its name to reveal the properties of that network adapter. The one I was looking for is called Preferred Band. There's a seemingly endless list of properties for every network adapter connected to your device, but they're sorted by alphabetical order, so Preferred Band is easy to find.

The default value for this setting is No Preference. In other words, Windows 11 will handle switching between the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands based on the situation. This is usually best for most people, but it can lead to your Windows PC using the 5GHz band instead of the 6GHz one on Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 networks. To fix this issue once and for all, change this value to Prefer 6GHz band. Then, hit OK to confirm your changes.

Now, disconnect and reconnect your home Wi-Fi network, and go back to the main Windows 11 settings app. You should see your wireless network still listed as being Wi-Fi 6, but you'll now see the 6GHz band in use and possibly a wider channel width.

Quiz

8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge

MUO's Wi-Fi security features and myths quiz

Think you know how to keep your network safe? Separate fact from fiction in this WiFi security quiz.

EncryptionMythsProtocolsNetworksThreats

Begin

Which WiFi security protocol is considered the most secure for home networks as of 2024?

AWEPBWPACWPA2DWPA3

Correct! WPA3 is the latest and most robust WiFi security protocol, introduced by the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2018. It offers stronger encryption and better protection against brute-force attacks compared to its predecessors.

Not quite — the answer is WPA3. While WPA2 is still widely used and reasonably secure, WPA3 brings significant improvements including 192-bit encryption and Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE), making it the gold standard for modern networks.

Continue

Hiding your WiFi network's SSID (making it not broadcast its name) is an effective security measure. Is this true or false?

ATrue — hidden networks are invisible to attackersBFalse — hidden SSIDs can still be detected with basic toolsCTrue — it prevents all unauthorized connectionsDFalse — hiding the SSID disables encryption entirely

Correct! Hiding your SSID is largely a myth as a security measure. Tools like Wireshark or Kali Linux can easily detect hidden networks by capturing probe requests from connected devices, making this a false sense of security.

Not quite — hiding your SSID is actually a security myth. Any attacker using freely available network scanning tools can detect hidden networks within seconds, so relying on SSID hiding instead of strong encryption is a dangerous mistake.

Continue

What does WEP stand for in the context of WiFi security?

AWireless Encryption ProtocolBWired Equivalent PrivacyCWide Encryption PrivacyDWireless Equivalence Protection

Correct! WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy, introduced in 1997 as part of the original 802.11 standard. Despite its name implying strong security, WEP was cracked and officially deprecated by the IEEE in 2004 due to serious vulnerabilities.

Not quite — WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy. The name was meant to suggest it offered security on par with a wired connection, but it fell far short of that goal and was broken by researchers, leading to its replacement by WPA.

Continue

Does enabling MAC address filtering on your router reliably prevent unauthorized users from joining your network?

AYes — MAC addresses are unique and cannot be duplicatedBYes — routers can verify MAC addresses at the hardware levelCNo — MAC addresses can be spoofed using software toolsDNo — MAC filtering only works on wired connections

Correct! MAC address filtering is another widely believed security myth. Attackers can sniff the network to identify approved MAC addresses and then spoof (clone) one using simple software, bypassing the filter entirely within minutes.

Not quite — the correct answer is that MAC addresses can be spoofed. While MAC filtering adds a minor layer of inconvenience, a determined attacker can capture legitimate MAC addresses from network traffic and impersonate them, rendering this protection largely ineffective.

Continue

What type of attack involves a hacker setting up a fake WiFi hotspot to intercept users' data?

ABrute-force attackBEvil twin attackCDeauth flood attackDARP poisoning attack

Correct! An evil twin attack involves creating a rogue access point that mimics a legitimate WiFi network. Unsuspecting users connect to it thinking it's real, allowing the attacker to intercept credentials, browsing data, and sensitive communications.

Not quite — the attack described is called an evil twin attack. It's particularly dangerous in public places like cafes and airports, where attackers clone the name of a trusted network. Always verify network authenticity and use a VPN on public WiFi.

Continue

What major vulnerability was discovered in WPA2 in 2017 that shook the cybersecurity world?

AThe POODLE exploitBThe Heartbleed bugCThe KRACK attackDThe BEAST exploit

Correct! KRACK, which stands for Key Reinstallation Attack, was discovered by researcher Mathy Vanhoef in 2017. It exploited a flaw in the WPA2 four-way handshake, potentially allowing attackers to decrypt encrypted traffic on nearly any WPA2-protected network.

Not quite — the answer is KRACK, short for Key Reinstallation Attack. This discovery was alarming because WPA2 had been considered secure for over a decade. Most device manufacturers released patches shortly after the disclosure to mitigate the vulnerability.

Continue

Which frequency band generally offers faster speeds but a shorter range on modern dual-band routers?

A2.4 GHzB5 GHzC900 MHzD6 GHz

Correct! The 5 GHz band offers significantly faster data speeds but has a shorter range and struggles more with walls and obstacles compared to 2.4 GHz. From a security perspective, its limited range can also mean fewer opportunities for distant attackers to intercept signals.

Not quite — the 5 GHz band is the one that offers faster speeds with shorter range. The 2.4 GHz band travels farther and penetrates walls better, but is more congested and slower. Knowing which band to use for which device is key to balancing speed and coverage.

Continue

Is it true that using a VPN on public WiFi makes you completely immune to all network-based attacks?

AYes — a VPN encrypts all traffic and eliminates every threatBYes — VPNs also protect against malware on public networksCNo — VPNs reduce risks but don't protect against all attack typesDNo — VPNs actually make you more visible on public networks

Correct! VPNs are a powerful tool for protecting data in transit on public WiFi, but they are not a silver bullet. They don't protect against malware, phishing, attacks targeting your VPN client itself, or DNS leaks if the VPN is misconfigured — so additional precautions are still necessary.

Not quite — the right answer is that VPNs reduce risk but don't eliminate all threats. While a VPN encrypts your internet traffic and hides it from snoopers on the same network, it won't stop malware infections, phishing attempts, or vulnerabilities in the VPN software itself.

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Why you'd want to make Windows use 6GHz

If you're getting slower Wi-Fi than you'd expect, this is the reason

Our wireless networks are congested with 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections. Any device with Wi-Fi 6 or earlier support has to use one of those two bands, and they're cluttered with devices like smart home accessories and TVs. Using the 6GHz band instead is like getting a fast lane for your most important devices. This new band is only available for Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 devices, meaning there's far less congestion than the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Using the 6GHz band results in quicker speeds, better responsiveness, and a more stable networking experience.

There's no downside to changing this Device Manager setting if you have a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 router. Setting the 6GHz band preference doesn't prevent you from connecting to 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks or devices. It simply tells your Windows 11 PC to prioritize the 6GHz band when it is available, which is exactly what those who've invested in Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 gear want. It'll also clear up the confusion around whether your Windows PC is really using your shiny new router to the fullest extent.

Google Nest Wifi Pro

$150 $200 Save $50

Google's reliable mesh Wi-Fi system helps ensure coverage throughout your whole home. The system uses Wi-Fi 6E for speeds up to 5.4 Gbps, and the 6 GHz band helps reduce interference for better performance.