2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz: Which should you use? – The Basics

The video above and this blog were created as part of our The Basics series. The Basics is a series of videos answering questions that many have in the most understandable way. No industry specific terms or over detailed descriptions. We created this series to help people understand technology basics that are sometimes explained over complicatedly. It’d mean the world to us if you shared the video or this blog!

So,

What’s the difference between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WIFI? We’re talking about WIFI not cellular. There are 3 basic differences. Speed, range, and interference.

First is speed. Which is faster? Almost always your 5 GHz connection will be faster.

Next is range. 2.4 usually has a further range and this is because lower frequencies can travel through solid objects more effectively. If you’re very far from, or have a lot of walls or floors between you and your router it might make sense to use 2.4 Ghz

Lastly interference. 2.4 GHz is a very crowded frequency. Everything from Bluetooth devices, cordless landlines, and most smart home devices put off 2.4 GHz signals. 5 GHz is typically only being used by things like your phone, computer, or smart TVs’

So which should you use? Most of the time you should probably use 5 GHz.