Not every “Wi-Fi 7 device” is built the same.
But they’re still stamped with “Wi-Fi 7.”
Vendors rarely explain this.
Because they decide whether your device is actually next-gen —
or just a rebranded Wi-Fi 6.
Here’s what you need to know:
MLSR (Multi-link Single Radio):
Marketed as Wi-Fi 7.
But only one link works at a time.
EMLSR (Enhanced MLSR):
Sounds advanced, but still limited.
It can listen to multiple links,
yet only transmits on one.
STR MLMR (Simultaneous Multi-link Multi-radio):
This is the real deal.
True parallel TX/RX across multiple links.
It’s what Wi-Fi 7 was meant to be.
NSTR MLMR (Non-simultaneous MLMR):
It’s a half step.
More flexible than single radio,
but never fully parallel.
EMLMR (Enhanced Multi-link Multi-radio):
The gold standard.
Dynamic reconfig, spatial multiplexing,
and the performance leap vendors hype in keynotes.
Users think they’re buying Wi-Fi 7.
But many will never touch the capabilities that make Wi-Fi 7 matter.
So the next time you see “Wi-Fi 7” on a box,
the real question isn’t if it supports multi-link.
It’s how much of Wi-Fi 7 you’re actually getting.
Thanks for reading.
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