2.4 GHz Vs 5 GHz – What channel provides higher speeds?

One of the most misunderstood networking concepts is the signal frequency which are only two: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz signals. Here, we’ll look at what they are, their differences and how they’re used by our devices.

When I was looking for a router, one of the most common terms I found was 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. These are both signal frequencies that a network signal supports. If a router supports both of these frequencies, it is referred to as a dual band router. To understand them better, think of them as routes or paths that devices connect to. The older and more used common signal is the 2.4 GHz band while the 5 GHz is recent. The following table provides an insightful breakdown of these two channels

What are the differences between the2.4 GHzand 5 GHz channels?

2.4 GHz

The 2.4 GHz channel band is the first band that was used from the early 80s. It supported radio communication which was paramount in those days. Many routers today still support this channel and there are a number of reasons for this. All your home devices likely support 2.4 GHz such as baby monitors, Bluetooth speakers and remote control garage doors. Because of this, you will find that 2.4 GHz connections are affected in terms of performance due to interference. Say, you’re home router and devices operate on this band, you will find that the speed is highly reduced due to interference with other waves such as the baby monitor or speaker. However, the 2.4 GHz waves are travel further and are less affected by solid objects such as walls.

Another reason this band is slow is that it only provides 11 channels for your devices to use. This is quite little compared to the 5 GHz band that has 23 channels. If you have a lot of devices connected to your network, the 2.4 GHz will struggle since there are few channels for communication.

Reasons for using the 2.4 GHz channel

When setting up your router’s wireless connection, one of the main factors to consider is the channel you want your devices to use. There are a few reasons you may opt for this channel despite its downsides and they include:

• If you have a large house, this is the channel for you. The 2.4 GHz band provides longer range than the 5 GHz since it is less affected by solid objects such as walls and doors. It can easily penetrate walls and other bodies to reach all your rooms. This is also the reason it is used by media stations to transmit radio waves as they travel far and wide
• The router you have may only support this channel. We do not recommend this however as it is limiting and very outdated

Limitations of using 2.4 GHz

For many decades now, WLANs have been using the 2.4 GHz channel. But over the years, there has been a huge increase in the number of wireless devices in our lives and this has revealed the weaknesses of the 2.4 GHz band.

• There is high interference in very populated areas since lots of devices use this channel
• Reduced internet speeds due to interference with other home devices such as microwaves and baby monitors
• The network is unregulated meaning that high powered antennas and network cards affect the flow of network traffic

5 GHz

This band came after the 2.4 channel to improve on its downsides. It is a faster channel for your devices and provides a speed of up to 1000 Mbps. Because of this, many homes today rely on this channel. Say your internet service provider package is 200 Mbps, you would have to use the 5 GHz band for your devices. This is because the 2.4 GHz band only supports speeds of up to 150 Mbps. Today, almost all routers support both of these bands for versatility. There is also a rise in devices that only support 5 GHz.

The 5 GHz band however has some downsides of its own. Although it provides high bandwidth, the range is poor since the wave is not able to pass through walls and other solid bodies. If you have a large house, this is not the frequency band you want to use. In this case, you may want to use a mesh system for this case that will boost the signal with minimal loss of bandwidth. However, the signal is less crowded meaning the bandwidth is high provided you’re close to the router. it is less crowded because few devices operate on the 5 GHz band. It is important to note that the 5 GHz channel provides 23 channels for devices to connect too.

Reasons for using the 5 GHz channel

Today, many home networks are connected through the 5 GHz frequency band and this is not by chance. The following are reasons for this popularity

• High speeds. The channel supports a speed of up to 1 Gbps. Say your internet service provider package is 200 Mbps, you would have to use the 5 GHz band for your devices. The high speed also make it a good choice for gamers and 4K live streams
• If you have a small house, you may want to consider using this channel. By doing this, you get the best out of your router and ISP package.
• If you have many home devices such as baby monitors, microwaves, Bluetooth speakers and more, the 5 GHz channel would work best for you. All the above mentioned devices work on the 2.4 band meaning if you add more devices to it, you overcrowd the signal and get low speeds.

Limitations of using 5 GHz

Although this band is faster, there are a few downside to using it as listed below

• Poor range. The 5 GHz wave is heavily affected by solid objects around the house. If you have a large house, you will struggle in getting the signal to all your rooms. And even if there is a signal, the connection will be poor due to lossness and attenuation. However, you can resolve this by using mesh routers or Wi-Fi extenders.

The following table highlights the difference in speed and range for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channels.

Dual band vs triband routers in relation to frequency

Dual band

It is likely that you have stumbled upon the term dual band when searching for a router. A dual band router means that you have the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands supported.Almost all routers today are either dual band or triband routers and it is important to know their differences. When connecting to a dual band router, you will find that your devices indicate two networks. This is because your dual band router is broadcasting these two frequencies. To understand them better, the following are the types of dual band routers we have

Selectable dual band routers

With this one, only one of the broadcasted signal can be used at a time. You either choose to use the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Changing or switching between the two is possible using a switch. This type of router is simple and cheap.

Simultaneous dual band router

Here, the router broadcasts the two frequencies separately so that you are able to use them at the same time. A few routers allow you to change the name and password for both bands so that the devices see only one network. Simultaneous dual band routers are slightly more expensive but are worth the extra cost since the benefits outweigh the price.

Triband routers

As the name suggests, triband routers broadcast three frequencies: one 2.4 GHz and two 5 GHz channels. Because of this, they offer very high speed and bandwidth and are built for heavy users such as gamers and enterprises. Triband routers came about to reduce overcrowding for people with very many devices connected wirelessly. They are expensive with an average price of $300. However, you can’t grow wrong with them in terms of speed and range.

Conclusion

The channel you decide to use entirely depends on what you want from your router. If speed and bandwidth is the main concern, the 5 GHz channel would be perfect for your devices. The 2.4 GHz can be used for large homes although a lot of bandwidth is lost due to an overcrowded signal. All in all, the 5 GHz is a much better channel as it provides better speed and performance.