Understand the difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz fibre bandwidth

Fibre | Understand the difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz fibre bandwidth

This article is for clients who need to understand the difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz fibre bandwidth.

Bandwidth can be described as the maximum data transfer rate of a network or internet connection. Bandwidth measures how much data can flow through a connection at one time, it does not measure how fast the bits of data move from one place to another.

Understand the difference between 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz

The primary differences between the 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz wireless frequencies are the range & the bandwidth.

  1. 5 GHz provides faster data rates at a shorter distance.

  2. 2.4 GHz offers coverage for further distances but may perform at slower speeds. The biggest reason for this is that higher frequency signals cannot penetrate solid objects like walls and floors as well as lower frequency signals. Thus, the 2.4 GHz has a further range than the 5 GHz frequency.

Range: How far your data can travel. In most cases, the higher the frequency of a wireless signal, the shorter it's range.

Bandwidth: Higher bandwidth means that files will download and upload faster, and high-bandwidth applications such as streaming video will perform much smoother and faster.

Higher frequencies allow faster transmission of data, also known as bandwidth. Therefore, the 5GHz with it's higher bandwidth will provide much faster data connections than 2.4 GHz.


Suggestions for choosing the best frequency

Many devices only use the 2.4 GHz frequency, and these devices are all attempting to use the same “radio space” which can cause overcrowding of the channels. The 5GHz band has 23 available channels for devices to use vs the 3 available on the 2.4 GHz band.


Overcrowding can cause slower speeds and internet connection issues. Some examples of devices that can cause interference are:

  1. Microwaves

  2. Cordless phones

  3. Baby monitors

  4. Garage door openers


So, which should you choose, 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz?

  1. If faster speeds are most important to you then 5 GHz is usually a better choice.

  2. If the wireless range is more important to you then the 2.4 GHz is usually a better choice.

  3. If you have many devices that use 2.4GHz and you are experiencing interference or internet connection issues, then 5Ghz is the best option.

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