In our house, they’re called BarrysRouter and BarrysRouter5 so we know which is which. Worse, you won’t have a clue which band each device is connecting to without diving into your router’s settings, nor (in most cases) can you force a device to connect to a particular band.Īs a result, it’s normally best to set up your router so that each band is assigned its own wireless network name (its SSID), so it effectively looks like two different routers when you’re connecting devices. The con is that you probably will need to think about it, because quite often devices that use the 2.4GHz band can’t communicate directly with devices on the 5GHz band, even though they’re connected to the same network.
#2.4 GHZ VS 5GHZ FOR GAMING PRO#
The pro is that you don’t need to think about it. Most dual-band routers will, by default, automatically assign devices to one band or the other for the sake of simplicity. The first thing to ascertain is whether you have a choice in the first place. Hence, I generally connect any device in the office to 2.4GHz to guard against connection dropouts. Here at Collins Towers, the 2.4GHz band has no problem reaching my office in the garage (passing through two brick walls), but the 5GHz band is wobbly. 5GHz uses shorter radio waves than 2.4GHz, meaning it has more trouble passing through walls, windows, bookcases and all the other awkward obstacles that comprise a modern home. We’re not going to dive into exactly how fast, because all manner of factors come into play, but if you were looking for the fastest possible connection, you’d normally go for 5GHz. There’s even better news in that the maximum speeds achievable over 5GHz are much faster than 2.4GHz. This reduces the risk of a flood of traffic disrupting your Stranger Things streams. The 5GHz band operates at a different frequency to 2.4GHz, meaning that the two bands can co-exist without interfering with one another.Īs many fewer devices support 5GHz, the airwaves tend to be much clearer. Which is why router manufacturers started making routers that operate in the less congested 5GHz band.
#2.4 GHZ VS 5GHZ FOR GAMING TV#
That can be a problem if you’re trying to stream 4K Netflix to the TV in your bedroom and there’s tons of other wireless traffic – not only from your own network but from neighbours’ Wi-Fi networks too. Consequently, it’s the more congested of the two. Plus, there are still quite a few older laptops and routers knocking around that only work with 2.4GHz and not 5GHz. The 2.4GHz band isn’t only used for Wi-Fi traffic, it’s used for everything from baby monitors to cordless phones to wireless video cameras. The 2.4GHz band is The Beatles of this now over-stretched metaphor – it’s been around for ages and it’s massively popular. The 2.4GHz band Photo by Melissa Van Gogh on Unsplash So which should you connect your devices to? The answer isn’t always straightforward, but let’s try and help you find the right solution for your home Wi-Fi. Those bands are 2.4GHz and 5GHz and, like Metallica and The Beatles, they have very different characteristics. If you have what’s known as a dual-band router, it doesn’t mean you can stream Metallica at the same time as The Beatles: it means your Wi-Fi devices can connect to one of two bands.