| 802.11n | MCS 0 | BPSK | 1/2 | -82 | -80 | 6.5 | 5 | Minimum for any connection. Cell edge. Use 802.11r for fast re-assoc at this RSSI. |
| 802.11n | MCS 1 | QPSK | 1/2 | -79 | -77 | 13 | 8 | Long range. Voice possible but marginal. |
| 802.11n | MCS 2 | QPSK | 3/4 | -77 | -75 | 19.5 | 10 | Acceptable for basic data. |
| 802.11n | MCS 3 | 16-QAM | 1/2 | -74 | -72 | 26 | 13 | Good for video streaming. |
| 802.11n | MCS 4 | 16-QAM | 3/4 | -70 | -68 | 39 | 16 | Good throughput. |
| 802.11n | MCS 5 | 64-QAM | 2/3 | -66 | -64 | 52 | 18 | High throughput zone. |
| 802.11n | MCS 6 | 64-QAM | 3/4 | -65 | -63 | 58.5 | 20 | Near optimal. |
| 802.11n | MCS 7 | 64-QAM | 5/6 | -64 | -62 | 65 | 22 | Best 1SS rate. Target RSSI for high-density APs. |
| 802.11ac | MCS 0 | BPSK | 1/2 | -82 | -80 | 6.5 | 5 | Same as n MCS0 - backward compat rate. |
| 802.11ac | MCS 1 | QPSK | 1/2 | -79 | -77 | 13 | 8 | |
| 802.11ac | MCS 2 | QPSK | 3/4 | -77 | -75 | 19.5 | 10 | |
| 802.11ac | MCS 3 | 16-QAM | 1/2 | -74 | -72 | 26 | 13 | |
| 802.11ac | MCS 4 | 16-QAM | 3/4 | -70 | -68 | 39 | 16 | |
| 802.11ac | MCS 5 | 64-QAM | 2/3 | -66 | -64 | 52 | 18 | |
| 802.11ac | MCS 6 | 64-QAM | 3/4 | -65 | -63 | 58.5 | 20 | |
| 802.11ac | MCS 7 | 64-QAM | 5/6 | -64 | -62 | 65 | 22 | |
| 802.11ac | MCS 8 | 256-QAM | 3/4 | -59 | -57 | 78 | 25 | Requires clean RF. SNR >25dB. Good proximity. |
| 802.11ac | MCS 9 | 256-QAM | 5/6 | -57 | -55 | N/A 20MHz | 27 | MCS9 invalid at 20MHz 1SS - use 40MHz+ for MCS9 |
| 802.11ax | MCS 0 | BPSK | 1/2 | -82 | -80 | 8.6 | 5 | ax baseline - 4× longer symbol = better in multipath vs ac MCS0 |
| 802.11ax | MCS 1 | QPSK | 1/2 | -79 | -77 | 17.2 | 8 | |
| 802.11ax | MCS 2 | QPSK | 3/4 | -77 | -75 | 25.8 | 10 | |
| 802.11ax | MCS 3 | 16-QAM | 1/2 | -74 | -72 | 34.4 | 13 | |
| 802.11ax | MCS 4 | 16-QAM | 3/4 | -70 | -68 | 51.6 | 16 | |
| 802.11ax | MCS 5 | 64-QAM | 2/3 | -66 | -64 | 68.8 | 18 | |
| 802.11ax | MCS 6 | 64-QAM | 3/4 | -65 | -63 | 77.4 | 20 | |
| 802.11ax | MCS 7 | 64-QAM | 5/6 | -64 | -62 | 86.0 | 22 | |
| 802.11ax | MCS 8 | 256-QAM | 3/4 | -59 | -57 | 103.2 | 25 | |
| 802.11ax | MCS 9 | 256-QAM | 5/6 | -57 | -55 | 114.7 | 27 | |
| 802.11ax | MCS 10 | 1024-QAM | 3/4 | -54 | -52 | 129.0 | 30 | High SNR required. Enterprise indoor close-range. |
| 802.11ax | MCS 11 | 1024-QAM | 5/6 | -52 | -50 | 143.4 | 33 | Premium rate. Need RSSI > -50dBm (very close to AP). |
| 802.11be | MCS 0-11 | Same as ax | - | Same as ax | Same as ax | Same as ax | Same as ax | 802.11be adds MCS12/13 (4096-QAM) only |
| 802.11be | MCS 12 | 4096-QAM | 3/4 | -49 | -47 | 154.9 | 38 | EVM ≤ -38dB. Only at RSSI > -47dBm. Essentially adjacent to AP. |
| 802.11be | MCS 13 | 4096-QAM | 5/6 | -47 | -45 | 172.1 | 43 | Highest MCS ever. RSSI > -45dBm required. Lab/demo range only. |