Travel Technology - 2.4 GHZ vs 5 GHZ Wireless LAN

I was troubleshooting a slow WIFI connection on my Sony Vaio today, when I noticed that my computer has two wireless options to select - 2.4 and 5 GHZ. The Vaio note says that the two frequency bands are not compatible and I need to switch my system to the same frequency to connect successfully.

I currently have both 2.4 and 5 selected on my computer. Is that okay? And do many hotels/hotspots use 5 GHZ in the world? I would think the U.S. is predominately 2.4 GHZ. Thanks!

Please follow this thread in the Travel Technology forum. Thanks for your understanding.

Jouy31
TravelBuzz moderator

I believe 802.11n uses 5GHz while b and g use 2.4.

The whole world is predominantly 2.4GHz. That is what 802.11b and 802.11g run on. The 5GHz spectrum was used for 802.11a, a technology that - like betamax - was arguably better but didn't really catch on. The new 802.11n technology will work in either spectrum but to my knowledge most developments today are still in the 2.4GHz range.

If you are running off your battery turning off the 5 GHz radio should save a bit of battery life.

The 5GHz band is less crowded and most laptops have dual band cards (those with the Intel cards) and with the spread of 802.111n dual band routers the 802.11a makes a silent comeback because those dual band routers are also 802.11a capable :D I am using it extensively now, it's faster and because there are fewer devices a lot more reliable.

I believe 802.11n uses 5GHz while b and g use 2.4.

.11n will use either band, but fall back to 2.4GHz if any .11[a,b,g] devices are on the network.

As sbm12 said, 5 GHz will also use more power, draining laptop batteries faster.

.11n will use either band, but fall back to 2.4GHz if any .11[a,b,g] devices are on the network.

As sbm12 said, 5 GHz will also use more power, draining laptop batteries faster.

If you are getting a lot of contention on 2.4GHz, 5GHz could end up being lower power overall. YMMV.

2.4Ghz is used for 802.11b, g and n.
5.8Ghz is used for 802.11a and n.

Since 11n 2.4Ghz band channels can use as much as 40Mhz bandwidth and each channel is only 5.5Mhz apart, 2.4Ghz band can only accommodate 3 access points (or wireless routers) effectively; low middle and high. 20Mhz bandwidth is better in a crowded neighborhood. So if you are using an 11n access point, monitor what channels you neighbors are using and set it accordingly. You may have to forgo the 40Mhz bandwidth and use 20Mhz instead. Some access points does not provide 40Mhz bandwidth option due to this nice neighbor issue.

While 5.8Ghz band has more bandwidth and less users, most equipment does not have enough power for good distance coverage. My old Linksys 11a access point was all but useless unless I am within 5 feet of the access point. This is because it takes more energy to propagate a higher frequency signal. The newer 11n dual band access points are better but distance coverage is still an issue.