Joint Effect of Signal Strength, Bitrate, and Topology on Video Playback Delays of 802.11ax Gigabit Wi-Fi

This paper presents a performance evaluation of IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) networks using a combination of real-world testbed measurements and simulation-based analysis. The paper investigates the combined effect of received signal strength (RSSI), application bitrate, and network topology on video playback delays of 802.11ax. The effect of frequency band and client density on system performance are also investigated. Testbed measurements and field experiments were conducted in indoor environments using dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) ad hoc and infrastructure network configurations. OMNeT++ based simulations are conducted to explore scalability by increasing the number of wireless clients. Results obtained show that the infrastructure-based deployments consistently provide more stable video playback than ad hoc network, particularly under varying RSSI conditions. While the 5 GHz band delivers higher throughput at short range, the 2.4 GHz band offers improved coverage at reduced system performance. Simulation results further demonstrate significant degradation in throughput and latency as client density increases. To contextualize the observed performance, a baseline comparison with 802.11ac is incorporated, highlighting the relative improvements and remaining limitations of 802.11ax under comparable signal and load conditions. The findings provide practical deployment insights for video-centric wireless networks and inform the optimization of next-generation Wi-Fi.