Wi-Fi 8 testing

Wi-Fi 8 standard in a nutshell

The primary physical layer parameters established in IEEE 802.11be will remain unchanged in IEEE 802.11bn. These parameters include a supported frequency range of 1 to 7.25 GHz, channel bandwidths up to 320 MHz and a maximum modulation scheme of 4096-QAM.

To meet the new ultra-high reliability and performance targets, IEEE 802.11bn introduces a series of PHY-layer enhancements, such as:

• Distributed resource units (DRU) and enhanced long-range (ELR) PPDUs to increase uplink transmit power and improve connection reliability.
• Expanded modulation and coding schemes (MCS) and unequal modulation (UEQM) to reduce SNR sensitivity gaps and enhance beamforming performance.

On the MAC layer, Wi-Fi 8 adds several new features and improvements aimed at more efficient spectrum utilization and better energy management, including:

• Dynamic subband operation (DSO), non-primary channel access (NPCA) and dynamic bandwidth expansion (BDE) to enable more flexible and efficient use of available spectrum.
• Dynamic power save (DPS) to reduce power consumption during link listening periods.

In addition, advanced MAC features have been introduced to support coordinated access point operation and seamless mobility domain (SMD) BSS functionality, enabling smooth transitions and improved network efficiency across complex deployment scenarios.

Wi-Fi 8 technology elements

Wi-Fi 8 (IEEE 802.11bn) builds on the foundation of Wi-Fi 7 to deliver next-level reliability, efficiency and seamless mobility. New PHY and MAC layer technologies work together to extend range, improve spectrum utilization, reduce latency and enable coordinated access across dense environments - setting the stage for ultra-high reliability (UHR) performance.

These technologies include:

• Distributed resource unit (DRU) overcomes power spectral density (PSD) limitations that restrict uplink transmit power in small resource units (RU). By distributing tones across a wider bandwidth, DRU allows each tone to transmit at higher power - improving uplink range and reliability.
• Enhanced long range (ELR) addresses link budget imbalances between access points (AP) and stations (STA). It supports uplink and downlink transmissions in the 2.4 GHz band as well as uplink transmissions in the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands. ELR operates on a 20 MHz bandwidth, with a single spatial stream and fourfold replication of a 52-tone RU across the frequency domain - extending reach and robustness.
• Expanded modulation and coding schemes (MCS) enable more accurate link adaptation and higher throughput performance. While Wi-Fi 7 supports seven modulation schemes and four code rates, not all combinations are utilized, leaving SNR sensitivity gaps of over 3 dB between certain MCS levels. Wi-Fi 8 introduces four new MCS levels to close these gaps.
• Non-primary channel access (NPCA) allows temporary use of a non-primary 20 MHz channel when the primary channel is occupied - improving channel access flexibility and overall capacity.
• Dynamic subband operation (DSO) resolves mismatches between AP and STA bandwidth capabilities. With 802.11bn, an AP can now dynamically allocate frequency resources to an STA operating outside its current bandwidth, optimizing utilization and throughput.
• Seamless mobility domain (SMD) minimizes latency and packet loss during AP transitions. It enables STAs to remain associated while moving between APs within the same mobility domain, ensuring continuous connectivity and low handover delay.
• Multi-access point coordination (MAPC) enhances network coordination among APs to optimize latency, reliability and throughput. Supported schemes include:
  • Coordinated beamforming (Co-BF)
  • Coordinated spatial reuse (Co-RS)
  • Coordinated TDMA (Co-TDMA)
  • Coordinated restricted target wait time (Co-RTWT)
  • Coordinated channel recommendation (Co-CR)

Master your Wi-Fi 8 test challenges

The IEEE 802.11bn standard maintains the core physical layer test requirements defined in 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7). As a result, many established test parameters -including error vector magnitude (EVM), transmit power, spectrum emissions and receiver sensitivity - remain applicable. The move to 4096-QAM modulation continues to demand (1) signal generators capable of producing extremely low-distortion signals across bandwidths up to 320 MHz and (2) spectrum analyzers with matching analysis bandwidth and ultra-low residual EVM performance.

On the MAC layer, features such as non-primary channel access (NPCA), dynamic subband operation (DSO), dynamic bandwidth expansion (DBE) and dynamic power save (DPS) - combined with multi-link operation (MLO) and preamble puncturing from previous Wi-Fi generations - significantly increase the demand for advanced signaling test solutions.

These new requirements introduce greater test complexity and variation, making it essential to adopt flexible, high-performance test systems capable of addressing the diverse validation needs across the Wi-Fi 8 product lifecycle, from early design to compliance testing and field verification.

High-performance Wi-Fi 8 test solutions

Rohde & Schwarz Wi-Fi 8 testing solutions deliver comprehensive capabilities for RF characterization, verification, certification and end-to-end performance testing. Our portfolio supports the entire development process - from early component and chipset design to final verification, conformance and production testing.

Our portfolio covers all application layers, from RF and signaling tests to end-to-end data and application performance testing. These capabilities are complemented by a market-leading non-signaling test framework, offering:

• Full chipset integration and support
• Best-in-class test automation for workflows spanning R&D through manufacturing

Together, these solutions enable faster validation, higher test accuracy and seamless scalability to meet the demands of Wi-Fi 8 performance and reliability.