5Ghz vs 2.4Ghz

[wyfy]

Is it true that I should be putting specific types of devices on one frequency and other devices on the other frequency? I've just been using 5Ghz whenever possible on any device that supports it. I've only been announcing 2.4Ghz for older devices.

I over heard some people talking about how they put the roku on a specific network and their phones connect to a different network because 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz were better for video or for devices that ping a lot but don't send data?

This would be news to me and I didn't know the people talking so I didn't interrupt but it's piqued my curiosity.

 

[Internet Man]

2.4GHz devices are more common so there is more likely to be interference. The newer and faster 802.11ac standard only works on 5GHz. 5GHz signals are less able to penetrate solid objects than 2.4GHz so the range tends to be lower.

 

[Klueless]

Is it true that I should be putting specific types of devices on one frequency and other devices on the other frequency? I've just been using 5Ghz whenever possible on any device that supports it. I've only been announcing 2.4Ghz for older devices.

Next time interrupt and ask. People are often flattered to expound on their views.

I've not heard that either (so it's probably true : -) I like what you've been doing but distance also comes into play.

I'm simple so I keep things simple. I typically run four SSIDs.

• "Further" on 2.4 GHz
  • Far field devices & TVs, devices with 2.4 GHz only.
• "Faster" on 5 GHz
  • Near field devices & TVs
• "Both"; 2.4 & 5 GHz
  • Mobile devices and devices that I haven't bothered to categorize as "fast" or "far"
• "Guest"; 2.4 & 5 GHz with no access to my Intranet (servers, printers, etc.)

I suppose I could simply use "both" for everything but I noticed my upstairs TVs would choose 5GHz with intermittent performance so I started pretending I knew better (than my TVs) and started choosing and locking the obvious (fixed location) devices. (My problem could have been due to solid core doors getting closed at night and smart TV not smart enough to switch over to better connection?)

 

[MichaelCG]

There are many theories on the "most bestest" way to lay out your WiFi connectivity. Some are fact, some are fiction, some are a mix of both.

There are generally three things to consider:
- Range
- Performance
- Security

Range
2.4GHz easily has longer range than 5GHz in the majority of use cases. It's ability to penetrate objects with less attenuation helps make it through walls, floors, and furniture more effectively. This is a double edge sword though....since 2.4GHz can penetrate walls easily, this is where the interference from your neighbors comes in since their WiFi can easily intrude on your airspace and vice versa.

Performance
2.4GHz will be more limited in overall speed than 5GHz. Even in clear airspace, 2.4GHz is limited to "N" speeds while 5GHz can get to "AC" and what ever the next faster standards will be. Even in taking the higher link rates out of the picture, 2.4GHz will generally have more interference issues from neighboring devices. These could be your next door neighbors, a Sonos bridge, an Arlo bridge, ZigBee devices, or gobs of other wireless devices that operate in the 2.4GHz band.

Building on this, if you have lower bandwidth chatty devices, you don't always want them on your 5GHz since their constant chatter will take away maximum performance from other clients. So that webcam that only needs 1-2Mbps, but runs all the time, it has the potential to impact your 4K streaming performance.

Security
Some people like to isolate higher risk devices (printers, cameras, IoT, guests, etc) to their own SSID that drops to their own isolated network segment. With this isolation comes trade-offs. If it is a printer or a Sonos or some other similar device, the broadcasts that the device and the client depend on won't be heard. There are ways around some of this...just takes more work.

You will have to weigh all of these options and create a solution that meets your needs. Some people like using different SSID for each band so they can somewhat control which devices are on which radio. Some like using a single SSID to simplify overall setup and roaming.

In my house...I have multiple APs running two SSIDs. One for my primary devices and one for guest. I use the same SSID for both bands and let the multiple APs handle the bandwidth concerns. So even if my wife is streaming her Netflix shows in the Living Room, my laptop in my office still can easily get 300Mbps+ since it is connected to a completely different AP. As I walk around the house, my phone determines which AP has the better signal and switches on its own. Sometimes it ends up on 2.4GHz, but the majority of the time it stays on 5GHz.

 

[coxhaus]

I think the real test for me with multiple APs is running FaceTime and walking around without the call dropping. The iPad should just switch APs as you walk around and not drop the call.

 

[wyfy]

Thanks, it all sounded ridiculous to me, but it was really surreal because they were SO confident that they had me second guessing myself.

 

[Vincent Wong]

I think the real test for me with multiple APs is running FaceTime and walking around without the call dropping. The iPad should just switch APs as you walk around and not drop the call.

In a perfect world that would exists. This is the reason why we are in this forum to achieve this seamless roaming without dropping connections when we move from one point to another.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Vincent Wong]

There are many theories on the "most bestest" way to lay out your WiFi connectivity. Some are fact, some are fiction, some are a mix of both.

There are generally three things to consider:
- Range
- Performance
- Security

Range
2.4GHz easily has longer range than 5GHz in the majority of use cases. It's ability to penetrate objects with less attenuation helps make it through walls, floors, and furniture more effectively. This is a double edge sword though....since 2.4GHz can penetrate walls easily, this is where the interference from your neighbors comes in since their WiFi can easily intrude on your airspace and vice versa.

Performance
2.4GHz will be more limited in overall speed than 5GHz. Even in clear airspace, 2.4GHz is limited to "N" speeds while 5GHz can get to "AC" and what ever the next faster standards will be. Even in taking the higher link rates out of the picture, 2.4GHz will generally have more interference issues from neighboring devices. These could be your next door neighbors, a Sonos bridge, an Arlo bridge, ZigBee devices, or gobs of other wireless devices that operate in the 2.4GHz band.

Building on this, if you have lower bandwidth chatty devices, you don't always want them on your 5GHz since their constant chatter will take away maximum performance from other clients. So that webcam that only needs 1-2Mbps, but runs all the time, it has the potential to impact your 4K streaming performance.

Security
Some people like to isolate higher risk devices (printers, cameras, IoT, guests, etc) to their own SSID that drops to their own isolated network segment. With this isolation comes trade-offs. If it is a printer or a Sonos or some other similar device, the broadcasts that the device and the client depend on won't be heard. There are ways around some of this...just takes more work.

You will have to weigh all of these options and create a solution that meets your needs. Some people like using different SSID for each band so they can somewhat control which devices are on which radio. Some like using a single SSID to simplify overall setup and roaming.

In my house...I have multiple APs running two SSIDs. One for my primary devices and one for guest. I use the same SSID for both bands and let the multiple APs handle the bandwidth concerns. So even if my wife is streaming her Netflix shows in the Living Room, my laptop in my office still can easily get 300Mbps+ since it is connected to a completely different AP. As I walk around the house, my phone determines which AP has the better signal and switches on its own. Sometimes it ends up on 2.4GHz, but the majority of the time it stays on 5GHz.

This is where it is best to manually select the signal channels if the airspace is too crowded. If your neighbors’ WiFi signals are set on auto (most likely it is) you would be better if you scan to see which channels they are on and pick another unused channel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Easy Rhino]

I've just been using 5Ghz whenever possible on any device that supports it. I've only been announcing 2.4Ghz for older devices..

That's mostly what I do, some devices (due to range and walls) I need to switch off the to 2.4ghz just because the 5ghz signal gets too weak.

 

[TonyH]

Is it true that I should be putting specific types of devices on one frequency and other devices on the other frequency? I've just been using 5Ghz whenever possible on any device that supports it. I've only been announcing 2.4Ghz for older devices.

I over heard some people talking about how they put the roku on a specific network and their phones connect to a different network because 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz were better for video or for devices that ping a lot but don't send data?

This would be news to me and I didn't know the people talking so I didn't interrupt but it's piqued my curiosity.

Then play with things, ask lots of questions around. Almost every day I run into people who have lack of logical mind when doing or learning digital anything. One example is Homelink programming. Now I am teaching bunch of seniors(average age ~90 yo) how to use Android tablet. Lots of patience and fun. (group of seniors received brand new Samsung S2 tablet with government funding)