A gateway device for distributing available airtime across client devices in a wireless local area network 'WLAN', the gateway device comprising: a memory storing instructions; and a processor configured to execute the instructions to: establish a wireless connection with a plurality of client devices in the WLAN; determine whether each client device is a legacy Wi-Fi station 'STA' or a Wi-Fi 6 STA, respectively; and distribute the available airtime across the client devices based on whether the plurality of client devices include legacy Wi-Fi STAs only, Wi-Fi 6 STAs only, or combinations thereof, and depending on whether or not the Wi-Fi 6 STAs have multi-user, multiple input/multiple output 'MU-MIMO' capability; wherein, when the plurality of client devices include a combination of one or more legacy Wi-Fi STAs, one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs without MU-MIMO capability, and one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs with MU-MIMO capability, the processor is configured to execute the instructions to distribute the available airtime across the client devices by performing mixed airtime management, including: performing legacy airtime management to assign OFDM frames to the one or more legacy Wi-Fi STAs, which uses all bandwidth and all spatial streams, performing Wi-Fi 6 resource unit 'RU' management to assign OFDMA subcarriers to the one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs without MU-MIMO capability, which uses only a subset of the subcarriers and all spatial streams, and performing Wi-Fi 6 airtime management to assign MU-MIMO spatial streams to the one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs with MU-MIMO capability, which uses all bandwidth and only a subset of the spatial streams. a memory storing instructions; and a processor configured to execute the instructions to: establish a wireless connection with a plurality of client devices in the WLAN; determine whether each client device is a legacy Wi-Fi station 'STA' or a Wi-Fi 6 STA, respectively; and distribute the available airtime across the client devices based on whether the plurality of client devices include legacy Wi-Fi STAs only, Wi-Fi 6 STAs only, or combinations thereof, and depending on whether or not the Wi-Fi 6 STAs have multi-user, multiple input/multiple output 'MU-MIMO' capability; wherein, when the plurality of client devices include a combination of one or more legacy Wi-Fi STAs, one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs without MU-MIMO capability, and one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs with MU-MIMO capability, the processor is configured to execute the instructions to distribute the available airtime across the client devices by performing mixed airtime management, including: performing legacy airtime management to assign OFDM frames to the one or more legacy Wi-Fi STAs, which uses all bandwidth and all spatial streams, performing Wi-Fi 6 resource unit 'RU' management to assign OFDMA subcarriers to the one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs without MU-MIMO capability, which uses only a subset of the subcarriers and all spatial streams, and performing Wi-Fi 6 airtime management to assign MU-MIMO spatial streams to the one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs with MU-MIMO capability, which uses all bandwidth and only a subset of the spatial streams. establish a wireless connection with a plurality of client devices in the WLAN; determine whether each client device is a legacy Wi-Fi station 'STA' or a Wi-Fi 6 STA, respectively; and distribute the available airtime across the client devices based on whether the plurality of client devices include legacy Wi-Fi STAs only, Wi-Fi 6 STAs only, or combinations thereof, and depending on whether or not the Wi-Fi 6 STAs have multi-user, multiple input/multiple output 'MU-MIMO' capability; wherein, when the plurality of client devices include a combination of one or more legacy Wi-Fi STAs, one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs without MU-MIMO capability, and one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs with MU-MIMO capability, the processor is configured to execute the instructions to distribute the available airtime across the client devices by performing mixed airtime management, including: performing legacy airtime management to assign OFDM frames to the one or more legacy Wi-Fi STAs, which uses all bandwidth and all spatial streams, performing Wi-Fi 6 resource unit 'RU' management to assign OFDMA subcarriers to the one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs without MU-MIMO capability, which uses only a subset of the subcarriers and all spatial streams, and performing Wi-Fi 6 airtime management to assign MU-MIMO spatial streams to the one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs with MU-MIMO capability, which uses all bandwidth and only a subset of the spatial streams. performing legacy airtime management to assign OFDM frames to the one or more legacy Wi-Fi STAs, which uses all bandwidth and all spatial streams, performing Wi-Fi 6 resource unit 'RU' management to assign OFDMA subcarriers to the one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs without MU-MIMO capability, which uses only a subset of the subcarriers and all spatial streams, and performing Wi-Fi 6 airtime management to assign MU-MIMO spatial streams to the one or more Wi-Fi 6 STAs with MU-MIMO capability, which uses all bandwidth and only a subset of the spatial streams.