It was built around the 5GHz spectrum, but failed to gain much traction in the consumer market.īeing the “first” Wi-Fi protocol, it faced a steep learning curve and deployment problems which delayed the deployment of 802.11a networks. 802.11a (5GHz WiFi)Ĩ02.11a was a standard in 1999 which promised to bring network connections to devices delivered over the air instead of through copper cables. These days, it’s getting pretty crowded, and to help address the digital noise that comes with it, 5GHz WiFi is making a comeback. Devices based on 802.11b were generally less expensive and more readily available than those based on 802.11a, so the b specification quickly became the consumer standard.
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From a consumer perspective, there wasn’t much difference between the two. Way back when Wi-Fi first came out, there were two versions that you could chose from: 802.11a and 802.11b. The differences are very much specific to the environment in which each network is being used. While this could be the case in certain situations, there are many reasons why (from a technical perspective) 5GHz WiFi may perform better than 2.4GHz WiFi similarly, there are reasons why 2.4GHz WiFi may work better for you than 5GHz WiFi. Many have opined that using 5GHz rather than 2.4GHz is nothing more than a manifestation of a “placebo effect”. But the difference isn’t that drastic, and you can always do speedtest to find which one is better.We’ve updated our 5GHz WiFi article to help address some of the points our readers have brought up, as well as to clarify the theories at work. That’s what I use while going live on YouTube.Ī general rule of thumb, I connect to 2.4 GHz WiFi on all my devices unless I need a high-speed internet connection for games and video streaming, then I go for 5 GHz.
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Of course, you can manually switch between 2.4 and 5 GHz band by simply disconnecting from the old band and connecting to the new one.įinally, if you have a device that supports a wired Ethernet connection and it’s not too awkward getting a cable to the device, we highly recommend using a wired connection over a wireless one. This way, if you have an old WiFi-enabled device that only supports 2.4 GHz like microwave or garage door, it’ll automatically connect to 2.4 GHz, and, if you have a device that supports dual-band (most modern smartphones and computer do) then it’ll automatically connect to the one that has more signal strength. I personally, like to broadcast both WiFi bands on my Netgear Nighthawk router by adding the frequency as the prefix. On the other hand, if you want to casual web browsing on your iPad from your lawn or terrace, then go with 2.4 GHz.
#2.4 ghz vs 5ghz wifi tv
Simply put, if you want to live stream Red Dead redemption on your PS4, assuming that your TV is closed enough to your router – go with 5GHz. Where as 5Ghz is less prone to interference usually fewer devices such as laptops and smartphone are using this frequency. If you have many of these in your home, or if you live in apartments or condos surrounded by other people, that 2.4 GHz band is likely to be congested, which can damage speed and signal quality. It could be your microwaves, security camera and phones etc. 2.4 Ghz is more prone to interference usually more devices using this frequency. Resulting in a shorter range than the 2.4 GHz band.Ĭongestion: The third diff between 5Ghz wifi vs 2.4 Ghz wifi is the network congestion. Meaning it’s less able to penetrate walls and solid objects. Range: On the other hand, since 5 GHz band have higher frequency compare to 2.4 Hz, it’ll have a shorter wavelength. This results in overcrowding and thus decreasing the speed of wireless networks. Since most WiFi-enabled household devices (such as microwaves, gaming console, security cams, etc) use the 2.4 GHz band, they are often fighting over a small number of channels. So, even in not so ideal condition, you are going to get more speed on 5 GHz connection.Īnother reason why you get more speed on 5 GHz connection is the number of channels, 5 GHz has 23 channels, while the 2.4 GHz band has only 11 channels. 5 GHz router, on the other hand, can support up to 1300 Mbps. Speed: Under ideal conditions and I quote ‘under ideal conditions’ 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi can support up to 400 – 600 Mbps, depending on the router of course. And well, there are two major differences in these WiFi band, s peed it can travel and range it can cover.
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Now, before we decide what to choose, we need to understand the difference between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.