Which factor primarily determines the maximum theoretical throughput of a Wi-Fi link?

The maximum theoretical throughput of a Wi-Fi link is primarily defined by the channel width (e.g., 20, 40, 80, or 160 MHz) and the Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) rate selected by the device.

As stated in the RUCKUS One Online Help – PHY and Data Rate Concepts , throughput increases with wider channels and higher modulation (e.g., 1024-QAM in Wi-Fi 6). However, achieving these rates depends on sufficient SNR , which influences the MCS level that can be sustained.

RUCKUS Analytics collects PHY rate metrics to validate link efficiency and helps determine whether MCS downgrades are caused by environmental noise or interference.

Transmit power and beacon timing affect stability, not raw throughput.