A 2.4 GHz connection travels farther at lower speeds, while 5 GHz frequencies provide faster speeds at shorter range. Your choice of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz will depend on where and how you use your WiFi connection most.
In general, the difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz boils down to wireless range vs. speed. If you want better range, use 2.4 GHz. If you need higher performance or speed, use the 5GHz band.
The 5 GHz band transmits data at a faster speed than a 2.4. But it has a shorter range. The 5 GHz has a shorter range because it has a higher frequency and higher frequencies have a harder time penetrating solid objects such as floors and walls in a building.
Using a 5Ghz frequency, you will get about 50 feet or about 15 meters of reach. The reach of your signal will be impacted by the manufacturer of the equipment that you are using, the location your router is installed, and the obstructions that might block the signal in your home or business.
The difference between the two is pretty simple: it all comes down to range and speed. 2.4 GHz has a longer range, meaning it reaches a lot further than 5 GHz Wi-Fi. 1 However, even though you can connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi from your basement, it will have a slower speed. 5 GHz Wi-Fi is faster.
Yes, 5Ghz WiFi can go through walls, but it is more likely to be weakened or blocked by obstacles like walls, floors, and ceilings.
Relatively speaking, a 5GHz signal is less powerful than 2.4GHz to go through walls. Under unknown environmental factors, we can say that range of 2.4GHz is about 60feets(20 meters) and 5GHz is within 45feets(15 meters) to guarantee a good networking experience.
Turning off the 5.0 GHz band of your wireless router can help improve network security and your wireless range.
On the 2.4 GHz band, which is usually Wireless-N, always choose Channels 1, 11, or 6. Try to pick the emptiest of the three, using the Wi-Fi Analyzer as your guide. Channels other than 1, 11, or 6 will receive more interference. European users can also use Channels 12 and 13 on the 2.4 GHz band.
5 GHz networks do not penetrate solid objects such as walls nearly as well as do 2.4 GHz signals. This can limit an access points reach inside buildings like homes and offices where many walls may come between a wireless antenna and the user.
The 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi uses longer waves. That means it's better for carrying data across longer distances. Additionally, it's better at taking on physical obstacles interference (aka, penetrating solid objects between a router and the device). 5 GHz band uses shorter waves.
Using the latest Wi-Fi standard and the best router, 2.4 GHZ Wi-Fi can reach up to 600 Mbps under absolutely ideal conditions. But for your average home network, a max speed of 150 Mbps is more likely from a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection. A 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection can reach up to 1,300 Mbps—more than double the speed.
A general rule of thumb in home networking says that Wi-Fi routers operating on the 2.4 GHz band can reach up to 150 feet indoors and 300 feet outdoors. Older 802.11a routers that ran on 5 GHz bands reached approximately one-third of these distances.
5 GHz uses shorter radio waves, and that provides faster speeds. WiGig takes this further and operates on the 60 GHz band. That means even shorter radio waves, resulting in even faster speeds over a much smaller distance. There's also much less congestion with 5 GHz.
Ideally, you'll want to run your 2.4GHz wifi network on channels 1, 6, or 11. You should be able to set your wireless network to a new channel within your router's settings. (And don't forget to do this same analysis for your 5GHz wireless networks as well.)
Set up dual-band Wi-Fi for optimal speed
The lower frequency 2.4GHz Wi-Fi is able to travel much farther around your home. The higher-frequency 5GHz, on the other hand, provides a faster connection at the expense of distance. To get the most out of your home network, you should use both frequencies at the same time.
5GHz Wi-Fi does not broadcast 5G cellular signals and cannot connect to them, either. It has nothing to do with the mobile network standard of 5G.
2.4 and 5 GHz Comparison
2.4 GHz has three non-overlapping channels to work with, while 5 GHz has 24. We don't always get to use all of the 5 GHz channels, but overall it offers a lot more space.
A 5 GHz router can only emit signals on the 5 GHz band. The basic difference between these two bands is speed. Under ideal conditions, a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi router can support speeds up to 450 Mbps, some up to 600 Mbps. Under ideal conditions, a 5 GHz Wi-Fi router can support speeds up to 1300 Mbps.
Your Neighbor's Network
When many networks are located closely together, for example in apartment buildings, this will affect the wireless capacity. For equipment on the 2.4 GHz band, neighboring networks are the single largest source of interference on the wireless network.
5G is better for gaming as it has much bettter utilization of your network. 2.4G is better to use in business senarios(PPT would not take that much bandwidth and better penetration help you always connect).. 5G is faster and less deviation than 2.4GHz. It would help you with lower latency and faster speed.
Ideally, the 2.4GHz band should be used to connect devices for low bandwidth activities like browsing the Internet. On the other hand, 5GHz is the best option for high-bandwidth devices or activities like gaming and streaming HDTV.
Theoretically, multiple devices connected to Wi-Fi doesn't slow down the internet speed. But in practice, more the number of devices are connected to the internet, the bandwidth is being shared thus affecting the speed.