Most routers nowadays come with dual-band Wi-Fi, which means they have both 2.4G and 5G Wi-Fi bands. Both bands have advantages and disadvantages, so they can be used depending on your situation. The major differences between wireless frequencies are the range (coverage) and bandwidth (speed) the bands like 2.4G and 5G provide.
The 2.4 GHz band has a farther range so it can penetrate solid objects better and provides the most coverage but transmits data at slower speeds, but the 5 GHz band provides a lesser amount of coverage but broadcasts data at faster speeds. A 2.4 GHz connection travels farther at lower speeds, whereas 5 GHz frequencies provide faster speeds at shorter ranges. So, now let us see the difference between Wi-Fi 5G vs 2.4G along with Reliable 5g tester, 5G test equipment, 5g network tester tools and Reliable 4G Testing RF drive test software, Cellular LTE RF drive test tools & equipment in detail.
What is 2.4G or 2.4GHz band?
The 2.4 GHz band is used by most Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as microwaves, garage door remotes, cordless phones, baby monitors, and mobile devices. 2.4 GHz router could be the best option for those who live in a home with lots of walls between the router and your devices. The key benefit of the 2.4 GHz band is its long-reaching signal; longer waves which means 2.4GHz can travel further and are better at penetrating walls. However, 2.4 GHz can have a negative impact on speed, and can cause intermittent dropouts especially when multiple devices attempt to use the same frequency and that makes the 2.4 GHz band quite crowded.
The 2.4GHz band includes 3 channels such as long-range- better obstacle penetration, High traffic makes it prone to interference, and low-bandwidth consuming functions- good for email, some browsing, etc. Silent features of 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi are –
- Better coverage range
- Universally compatible
- Used in 802.11b standard
- Lower bandwidth than the 5 GHz version
- Higher interference is due to the use of 2.4 GHz by many devices.
What is wi-fi 5G or 5GHz?
The 5 GHz frequency band is much less congested, you will experience a more stable connection and higher speeds. It is recommended to use 5GHz if you are close to the router and require high-speed data transfers for streaming, gaming, or downloads. This band has a shorter range but can move a lot of data quickly, for instance, if you’re using your tablet on 5 GHz and move to another room in your house, you will face a connection drop – 5 GHZ is broader, less crowded, faster, and not widely supported. Because 5 GHz is used almost exclusively by Wi-Fi, it performs better as you will only notice this benefit if you have just a few devices connected to the 5GHz network. Ideal for laptops, phones, tablets, and other data devices used in small, open spaces, the 5 GHz Wi-Fi is having silent features like –
- Faster network speed
- Less interference than 2.4 GHz
- More bandwidth options are available
- Shorter range than the 2.4 GHz version
However, if you have multiple devices streaming HD video at the same time with 5 G wi-fi, you will experience slower speeds. The shorter waves used by the 5GHz band are the major reason that makes the band less capable to penetrate walls and solid objects.
The difference between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz is tabulated below:
| Features | 2.4 GHz WiFi | 5 GHz WiFi |
| IEEE Standard | 802.11 b/g/n/ax | 802.11 a/n/ac/ax |
| Wavelength | Greater than 5 GHz | Less than 2.4 GHz |
| Speed | Slower- 450 Mbps to 600 Mbps | Faster- 1.3 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | Lower | Higher |
| Applications | Large hotels, pubs, multiple walls between rooms, and restaurants have more guests | Hotels and cafes with professionals housing meeting rooms and business conferences |
| Coverage distance or range | Supports long distances, about 150 feet (~36 meters) indoors and 300 feet (~92 meters) outdoors | Supports short distances, about 50 feet (~12 meters) indoors and 100 feet ( 30.6 meters) outdoors |
| Waveform time | Higher | Lower |
| Cost | Less expensive | More expensive |
Conclusion
Whether it’s 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz, you will need stable network connectivity for your home or business. In that case, you will require to conduct network testing or measurement. Here comes RantCell, which is a non-traditional tool or SaaS-based software (compatible with both Android and iOS devices) to help perform indoor testing, drive testing, network benchmarking, crowdsourcing, and more on 4G/5G coverages. Use RantCell and stay connected with uninterrupted internet with QoS.
