Difference Between 2.4 and 5-Ghz Wi-Fi

There are some substantial differences between 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and what you can do with them.

As we said, the 2.4Ghz wireless band is a very crowded place because it’s pretty much used by most wireless devices beyond laptops, phones, and tablets. The lower-end wireless spectrum is also used by other devices like cordless phones, garage door openers, baby monitors, and much more.

By contrast, the 5Ghz band is more ideally suited for data devices such as your laptop, phone, or tablet because it can transmit higher amounts of data, and it’s naturally less congested.

5Ghz does have a downside in that it is less able to penetrate solid walls and objects, so if you go outside your house to use your phone, your connection might drop. 2.4Ghz is very congested resulting in dropped connections and slow data throughput. However, it is better suited for transmitting data over longer ranges and through walls and other solid objects.

5Ghz by contrast, is what we’ll call the “indoor” band. It’s ideal for connections inside the house due to the lack of congestion, higher data transmission rates, and smaller effective range. It’s also the only band available if you want to take advantage of the newer, super-fast wireless AC standard.