Wifi routers are one of the unavoidable home gadgets of this century. In most of the homes, this is one device which is ON 24/7 – 365 days. So choosing the right router is quite important. If you are planning to get a new Wifi router for your home and confused on the frequency of the device, this article might help you.
What are the basic differences between 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals?
Basically, the frequency of the router (2.4 GHz or 5GHz) indicates the frequency at which the signals propagate from and to the router. More frequency means higher the data speed it can provide to the devices connected to it. 2.4 GHz can carry data speed up to 600Mbps whereas 5GHz can carry data speed up to 1.2 Gbps. Nowadays there are routers which can provide 2.4 GHz and 5GHz at the same time, saying that please do not have a misconception that 5GHz technology is something new. The 5ghz technology was existing since years, but since such routers were costly, people go for 2.4 GHz routers.
Also please do not have a misconception that 5GHz routers are always the best one to go fo since its costly. You need to choose the router depending upon your usage and the design of the home. The major drawback of the 5GHz signals are, it has a very low penetration capability, which means lesser signal range. If you have a large house with several walls, you won’t be getting any benefits of 5GHz signals apart from the room where the router is placed. Still, there are techniques such as repeaters which can be used to extend the wireless range but needs more investment.
Another advantage of 5GHz signals is fewer signal interferences from other devices such as cordless phones and your neighbour’s routers if it is the 2GHz version which is most likely at least in India as the most common & cheap routers available are 2.4 GHz. With this, you can achieve interference free high-speed wireless signal if it is an open space or in the same room.
Conclusion
2.4GHz has high penetration capability through walls which help to get good signals in a big house with walls and less expensive. 5.4GHz has high speed but less penetration capability, good for a house without much walls but expensive
