Glossary
Wi-Fi 7 Multi-Link Operation
A Wi-Fi 7 feature that lets a client transmit and receive on two or three frequency bands (2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz) simultaneously. Reduces latency and improves reliability vs single-link Wi-Fi 6E.
Earlier Wi-Fi generations forced the client to pick one band at a time. MLO lets the radio split traffic across bands or duplicate it for redundancy.
Operating modes
- Simultaneous transmit-receive (STR). Bandwidth aggregation — peak throughput from both links combined.
- Enhanced multi-link single radio (eMLSR). Switch fast between links — better latency, similar throughput.
- Non-STR. Use one link for transmit, one for receive — common cost-optimized client implementation.
What it actually delivers
- Real-world peaks of 3–5 Gbps in ideal conditions (vs ~1.5 Gbps Wi-Fi 6E).
- Latency dropped from 5–10 ms to 1–3 ms in controlled tests.
- More reliable performance under interference.
What's required
Both router and client must support Wi-Fi 7 with MLO. Many early Wi-Fi 7 devices ship with single-link support only — check the spec sheet for explicit MLO mention.
Where this matters
Categories that use wi-fi 7 multi-link operation
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