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There are several differences between 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, but which one should I use for my home devices?
The main difference is that the 2.4 GHz band has a larger range than the 5 GHz band, so it will work better if your Wi-Fi router is far away from where you want to connect. However, because of this wider reach, there are more obstacles in its way such as walls and other wireless routers. This makes it harder for your signal to travel through these obstacles and reach your device without interruption or interference from other signals on the same band.
Usually, a router will have a single 2.4GHz band, a dual-band- a 5 and 2.4GHz band, or a triband with 2.4+5+5GHz bands. You will find the two bands also being used by Wi-Fi extenders such as the best Wi-Fi extenders for Spectrum internet and modem router combos.
Each one of them will play a specific role. For example, most people will understand the 2.4GHz band will boost the penetration, and the 5GHz band will work on speeds.
To choose a Wi-Fi frequency band for your home network, consider these factors first:
What are the differences between the 2.4 and 5GHz bands?
There are several differences between the 2.4GHz and 5GHz that can help you to know which band to connect to your devices. This is very important for devices that do not automatically connect to the best available Wi-Fi band in your network.
Some of the main differences include:
Range
The 2.4 GHz band is good as it covers a more extended range. So when choosing the long-range routers, it means that they have a very powerful 2.4GHz band. On the other hand, the 5GHz band covers a lower range.
Therefore, for devices that are far from the router, using the 2.4GHz band will give you a better connection. This is because the band can easily penetrate walls as compare to the 5GHz band.
Wi-Fi speed
Although the 5GHz band has a shorter coverage, the speeds are also very high. You will notice that the 5GHz band is twice as fast as the 2.4 GHz band. Therefore, the connection is dependable for the coverage which the router will manage with the 5GHz band.
Thus, for devices near the router, you should connect them to the 5GHz band. In addition, you should position the router near the devices that require the most bandwidth. These devices include streaming devices and gaming devices.
Stability of the connection
The signal of the router is usually stable if the 5GHz band is operating in an open space. However, when there are obstacles, the quality of the connection will begin to lower under the 5GHz band. Under the same circumstances, the 2.4GHz band will be doing very well to penetrate through the walls.
Interference with devices
Connection interference is at the peak when you make use of the 2.4GHz band. It happens so because many devices in the house operate within the range. For example, microwaves, televisions, and other devices create more interference to the 2.4 GHz band than the 5GHz band.
Other devices that use a similar frequency include baby monitors, Bluetooth headphones and other Bluetooth devices.
Therefore, if you are near any of these devices and they are in use, we recommend using the 5GHz band for the best connection. You will experience less interference and thus will get a good reliable performance from your router.
Number of channels
There is a huge difference between the number of channels for the two bands. For example, the 2.4GHz band will have fewer channels than the 5GHz bands. As a result, the reliability of the bands will also improve when using the 5GHz band, and the connected devices have relatively high speeds.
Conclusion
When choosing the Wi-Fi band to connect to your home devices, it is important to consider different factors discussed above. It is important to note the speeds required, range of usage, and possibility of interference.
If you are using devices like microwaves, Bluetooth devices, baby monitors, walkie-talkies and others you may need to connect to the 5GHz band to reduce interference.
