A frequency simply is a channel that data or information travels over. But unlike the radio in your car (which has tons of channels), you can either use 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz W-Fi. There’s actually a difference between both types. We’ll spill the tea and share what you need to know about Wi-Fi frequencies. 5 GHz Wi-Fi is faster. But faster also means it won’t reach as far. Techie lingo aside, you trade one benefit for the other when it comes to your internet connection. Keep in mind that not all routers support both versions of Wi-Fi—many older routers only have 2.4 GHz, while newer routers usually have both.1 The same goes for devices. If you have a really old PC, it might not have an option for changing Wi-Fi frequencies. But your new smartphone very likely does. In order to experience the full benefits of 5 GHz Wi-Fi, you should use a device and router that supports it. However, sometimes the 2.4 GHz bandwave is overused. There’s a bunch of devices that use this frequency, such as microwaves, any bluetooth devices, and even wireless landline phones. The great thing about 5 GHz is that there’s typically fewer devices using it. If you can connect your device to this frequency (just go to Wi-Fi settings) then chances are you’ll have fewer glitches. However, keep in mind that the signal from your router won’t reach as far as it would at 2.4 GHz. If you have a dual-band router, it can provide both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi at the same time.3 But your device itself will only connect to one Wi-Fi frequency at a time. Although it’s a sweet idea, your device can’t use both simultaneously. You’ll have to switch between both. Each frequency even has its own number of channels, but that gets more complicated. There’s 3.6 GHz, 4.9 GHz, 5.9 GHz, and so on. Within all of the frequencies available, countries decide which options are available and what channels are allowed.
