EandM is an authorized Siemens industrial automation distributor serving manufacturers, system integrators, and industrial facilities across the West Coast.
One question we're hearing more often lately: "Our Wi-Fi 4 IWLAN is working fine. Do we actually need to upgrade?" It's a fair question. Here's a practical way to think through it.
Six Questions to Ask
01 Device Growth
Are you connecting more devices than you were three years ago?
Wi-Fi 4 SCALANCE W handles real-time PROFINET communication reliably and still performs well in stable applications with a consistent device count. But Wi-Fi 6 was built for a different reality — more AGVs, more AMRs, more connected tools all competing for bandwidth at the same time. If your device count is growing, that's the first signal worth paying attention to.
02 Physical Mobility
Do you have equipment or people moving across coverage zones?
When a device moves from one access point to another, the handoff is where standard wireless breaks down. If you have moving equipment — or workers moving through the facility with tablets or mobile HMIs — roaming performance directly affects productivity. Gaps in connectivity during handoff aren't just inconvenient; in automation applications they can disrupt operations.
03 Layout Agility
Do you need flexibility in where you put your equipment?
Wired infrastructure locks you into your current layout. Every time a production line reconfigures or equipment moves, wired networks mean cable runs and rework. Wireless removes that constraint — layout changes become a facilities decision, not an electrical project. If you reconfigure seasonally, run different product lines, or are expanding floor space, this matters.
04 Real-Time Latency
Are you running real-time communication over wireless?
Wi-Fi 4 SCALANCE W with iPCF-2 remains a solid option where minimal latency is the primary requirement. If your real-time wireless requirements are growing — more devices, tighter timing, more complex motion applications — Wi-Fi 6 is where Siemens is continuing to develop that capability.
05 Cyber Security
Has cybersecurity become a bigger conversation at your facility?
If your facility has been through an OT security assessment recently, wireless infrastructure is part of that conversation. It's worth confirming your hardware meets current standards — not just whether it's running.
06 Infrastructure Scope
Are you managing wireless devices across multiple areas?
Once you're running wireless infrastructure across multiple zones or facilities, device-by-device configuration becomes a real time sink. If managing your wireless components individually is consuming meaningful engineering time, that's worth factoring into your infrastructure plan.
The Quick Decision Guide
| Assessment Criterion |
Consider staying on Wi-Fi 4 |
Consider upgrading to Wi-Fi 6 |
| Device count | Stable | Growing |
|---|
| Mobile equipment | Limited | AGVs, AMRs, moving conveyors |
|---|
| Mobile workers | Limited | Technicians, supervisors on the floor |
|---|
| Layout changes | Infrequent | Regular or planned |
|---|
| Security requirements | Current | Under review or tightening |
|---|
| Network management | Single zone | Multiple zones or facilities |
|---|
Ready to upgrade? Here's where to start.
If the table above is pointing toward Wi-Fi 6, the Siemens SCALANCE W700 series is the platform to look at. The combination of the SCALANCE WAM766-1 Access Point and SCALANCE WUM763-1 Client Module is designed for demanding industrial environments and gives you the performance headroom for where facilities are heading.
SCALANCE WAM766-1
Wi-Fi 6 • Access Point • IP65 field installation
- IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), up to 1,201 Mbps gross data rate
- IP65 protection class for flexible field installation
- TCP Event Roaming and Fast Transition — handoff under 50ms
- iPCF-2 (real-time) and iPRP (redundancy) available via CLP
- RED 3.3 compliant
SCALANCE WUM763-1
Wi-Fi 6 • Client Module • IP30 control cabinet
- IP30 protection class, compact form factor for control cabinet installation
- Four managed Gigabit ports — connect more end devices without a separate switch
- 90-degree rotation mounting for space-constrained installations
- Sleep mode and digital I/O for energy-efficient AGV and AMR applications
- RED 3.3 compliant
Both products integrate with SINEC NMS for centralized configuration, monitoring, and diagnostics across your entire IWLAN infrastructure.
Questions about which configuration fits your application?
That's exactly the conversation we have with engineers every day.