How long does a 200 GB file transfer take over WiFi 7? MLO and speed guide

How this is calculated

WiFi 7's big practical win is Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which lets a client use two bands simultaneously, sustaining throughput even if one channel degrades. In a busy apartment building with dozens of overlapping 5 GHz networks, WiFi 7 feels noticeably steadier than WiFi 6. The peaks are similar but the floor is much higher. Wired 10 GbE still wins for raw speed, but WiFi 7 is finally approaching wired Gigabit as a usable network fabric for bulk transfers.

Verdict

200 GB at WiFi 7's realistic 5 Gbps sustained rate works out to 5 minutes 20 seconds, while 802.11be's advertised peak of 46 Gbps is the combined-band figure only achievable in lab conditions, where real single-client devices deliver 3-6 Gbps on a high-bandwidth link. The milestone is real: 5m 20s for 200 GB is the same per-minute math as a 10 GbE wired run (1.25 GB/s peak versus 0.6 GB/s sustained wireless), which is the first time wireless has been fast enough that 'just transfer it wirelessly' is a defensible answer for large-file workflows. The 5 Gbps real-world figure depends on a clean 320 MHz 6 GHz channel and a close-range 4K-QAM link, so the honest scope is close-range room-of-the-router conditions rather than 'works anywhere in the house', but inside that envelope WiFi 7 actually approaches wired throughput for the first time.