2.4 GHz Vs 5 GHz band WiFi router. Which One To Buy?

One of the most confusing thing while buying a wifi router comes to our mind is how good the router’s speed is or how well it will perform. There are mainly two frequency band that a wifi router runs in. One is 2.4 GHz band which is most common and other is 5 GHz frequency band. 5 GHz band routers are new compared to 2.4 GHz band routers. We will be explaining today which frequency band of router you need to consider if you are planning to buy a new wifi router and we will also try to explain some key facts about 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band.

A Quick Comparison

2.4 GHz band wifi routers are most common and the market is flooded with these wifi routers. Although nowadays dual band supported routers are gaining more popularity among internet users due to its some serious advantages. A dual band router supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

5 GHz band has more radio channels than the 2.4 GHz and unlike 2.4 GHz band, channels in the 5 GHz band are not overlapped. Hence 2.4 GHz wifi routers are more prone to interference from other 2.4 GHz wifi routers running in the same channel. But two 5 GHz routers running in the same channel can not interfere with each other because channels here are not overlapped. If you look at some other devices at your house like a microwave oven, cordless phone all runs in the same frequency range as a 2.4 GHz router does and these devices will cause interference with the router and result in a reduced speed of WiFi.

5 GHz band wifi routers are said to have better speed not because it has more frequency, it is due to large number of radio channel that it has which allows data to travel freely without being interfered from other radio signals. But 5 GHz band has less coverage compared to the 2.4 GHz band because higher frequency can not penetrate through objects like walls, roofs, and floors. It is also possible that in some places where there are more than one number of 2.4 GHz band wifi routers running and since a 2.4 GHz routers have overlapped channels, the range of this type of routers reduces due to interference and you may get more range on a 5 GHz routers installed in that same place.

Which Router To Buy?

So while choosing a wifi router you should first properly understand the location of your place. If you stay in an apartment where the distance between your wifi router and place where you stay is about 60-80 m and there is no other 2.4 GHz router running nearby then 2.4 GHz router will work fine. But if you stay in a place where wifi signals are crowded and the distance between your router and you is about 20-30 m then you should consider buying a 5 GHz band router.

The IEEE standard for WiFi 5 GHz band is 802.11 AC and 802.11 b/g/n supports 2.4 GHz band. So don’t forget to check this specification before buying a WiFi router

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P.C- Thomas Van De Weerd