What is actually... 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz?

If you own a modern router, it is probably a device that supports both the 2.4 GHz and the 5 GHz frequency band. We already know from our blog article on the subject of channel overlaps that these frequency bands sometimes overlap with others. This blog article explains the most important differences between the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

What is the difference between 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz WLAN?

The 5 GHz band offers higher bandwidths, but has a shorter range. With radio frequencies, the general rule is: the shorter the range, the higher the frequency. As a rule, 2.4 GHz networks are not as susceptible to interference as 5 GHz networks. However, the 5 GHz band achieves greater transmission rates and much greater distances, but these are often interfered with by other 5 GHz routers, for example in large office complexes or in the city, making it very difficult to establish a radio connection.

Another big difference is the choice of available, overlap-free radio channels. More and more people are using WLAN, which consequently leads to an increased demand for bandwidth and a larger number of end devices within a network. However, not only company buildings and private homes must have a WLAN structure, but also warehouses and production areas. This is referred to as Industrial WLAN.

Advantages of the 5 GHz band

The 5GHz band has the advantage that it is not as busy and in the upper frequency ranges there are 40MHz intervals between the individual radio channels. This means that others are not disturbed, provided they are transmitting on the same channel. At 2.4GHz, several channels always overlap, so one client always occupies several and interferes with many radio operators.

In the 5GHZ band, there is also more space for radio networks, so it takes longer to be disturbed by others. In the 2.4 GHZ band, on the other hand, only 11 or 13 frequencies are available, and only three are free of overlap.

In the 2.4 GHZ band, wireless keyboards, mouse radios and microwaves often also transmit, which interfere again and result in poorer connections.

Another advantage of the 5 GHz band is that you can transmit with up to 1 watt in the higher frequency ranges, whereas in the 2.4 band you can only transmit with 100 mW, i.e. one tenth.

Here is a table comparing the two bands.

Tip: If you want to use the 5 GHz band with your radio, first make sure that your access point is running on the same frequency and supports the same band. If this is not the case, leave the frequency on the 2.4 GHz band.