One of the most often asked technical questions regarding wireless networking devices today is the question of 5GHz vs 2.4GHz. These numbers designate frequencies at which wireless devices send and receive signals. The older 802.11g band (and the even older 802.11b band) only functioned on the 2.4GHz band. The new 802.11n standard is capable of running on either the 2.4GHz or the 5GHz range.

The main disadvantage to using the 2.4GHz is that it’s narrower and more populated than the 5GHz band. Not only do neighboring wireless devices running 802.11b/g/n at 2.4GHz interfere, but many other devices such as baby monitors, microwaves, remote controls, Bluetooth headsets and cordless phones often operate on this frequency. This has the result of lowering the signal quality (as measured by the SNR, or signal-to-noise ratio).

The 5GHz band, on the other hand, is much wider and far less populated. It is also able to transmit signals over a 40MHz segment of the band rather than the usual 20MHz, increasing the data transfer rate (this is also possible on 2.4GHz, but its narrower and more populated nature makes it much less feasible in most situations).

There is, however, one main disadvantage to the 5GHz band - which often goes unmentioned. The maximum range of the 5GHz band is lower than the 2.4GHz band due to its higher frequency, and it also has a tendency of not penetrating walls as well as the 2.4GHz band. The other limitation (which strictly speaking is not a disadvantage of the band itself) is that not all wireless devices are compatible with the 5GHz band – especially older ones.

In many cases it is most practical to employ dual-band devices, capable of running both frequency ranges simultaneously. This provides backwards compatibility for older devices that are not compatible with 802.11n, as well as some newer devices like the iPhone that only support 2.4GHz 802.11n. This also allows more distant devices to still connect to the network over the 2.4GHz band, while closer devices can enjoy the increased speed and throughput of the 5GHz band.

When looking into purchasing a wireless repeater to extend an existing wireless-N, some extra care must be taken to make sure it has the specifications required. A dual-band wireless repeater (most often this will be a dual-band router that can also be set to repeater mode) is necessary to repeat both 2.4GHz and 5GHz if the household’s main router is set on dual-band mode. If only one or the other is used by the main router then a dual-band repeater is unnecessary: it would probably be best to get a cheaper, non-dual band model.

For more information on wireless repeater devices, along with plenty of up-to-date wireless repeater reviews, please visit the author's website: wirelessrepeaterhq.com.

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