RF · Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi data rate calculator.
The 802.11ac or 802.11ax link rate for an MCS, channel width, stream count and guard interval.
Inputs
Link rate
Enter values to calculate.
How is the Wi-Fi data rate calculated?
The PHY rate is data subcarriers x bits per subcarrier x coding rate x spatial streams / (symbol time + guard interval). 802.11ac uses a 3.2 microsecond symbol and 52, 108, 234 and 468 data subcarriers for 20, 40, 80 and 160 MHz. 802.11ax uses a 12.8 microsecond symbol and 234, 468, 980 and 1960 data subcarriers. The MCS sets the modulation and coding rate.
Worked example. 802.11ax, 80 MHz, 1 stream, MCS 11 (1024-QAM, 5/6) with a 0.8 microsecond guard interval is 600.5 Mbit/s, matching the published table. 802.11ac at 80 MHz, 1 stream, MCS 9 with the 0.4 microsecond short guard interval is 433.3 Mbit/s.
This is the link rate, not the speed you will download at. Protocol overhead, shared airtime, signal quality and the client device all reduce real throughput, and the lower rate is what the radios fall back to on a weak signal. 802.11ac MCS 9 is not defined for every width and stream combination; the tool rejects the 20 MHz single-stream case and you should check your device's own MCS table for the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum Wi-Fi 6 speed per stream at 80 MHz?
About 600.5 Mbit/s at MCS 11 with a 0.8 microsecond guard interval.
Is link rate the same as internet speed?
No. Real throughput is lower because of overhead, shared airtime, and signal quality.
What does MCS mean?
Modulation and coding scheme: the index that sets the modulation order and error-correction rate.
Why does a wider channel give a higher rate?
More subcarriers carry data in each symbol, roughly doubling the rate each time the width doubles.
Sources
Checked
Rates verified against the published tables; the standard itself is paywalled. Subcarrier counts are checked by reproducing the table values. Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Scope
Theoretical link rates. Not a throughput or coverage prediction.