Wifi speed VS range

I get the occasional question from customers regarding "the other wireless network", usually taking the form of "NetworkName-5G", so I thought I'd do a little piece on that...

Essentially the difference between the two of them is that 2.4 has a greater range, where as 5.0 has a higher initial speed. The higher frequency of the 5Ghz signal, though, has trouble penetrating dense objects (walls), so unless you've got stable, clear line of sight to your router, you're probably going to encounter connectivity issues.

But it's faster! - Yes, this is true. 2.4Ghz supports up to 300Mbps, where as 5.0Ghz supports up to 900 (theoretically), but your internet connection is really still only going to be coming in at a max of 40-80Mbps for most people depending on your router / provider and plan.

The only real important difference would be if you're in a 'crowded' area - the 5Ghz network has a lot more channels to broadcast on, meaning you can be surrounded a LOT more wireless signals before you start getting interference and drop outs.

My advice would be to ignore the 5G wireless network your router is broadcasting. You're not going to notice the speed, but you will notice the drop outs when you walk downstairs or to the other end of the house.