Which is better 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi?
We all know what Wi-Fi is. We use it to transmit data wirelessly from routers to phones, computers, etc. and vice versa in our homes, offices, public places, etc.
Although Ethernet cables are still present and considered as an important part of a network connection, Wi-Fi is becoming a general norm expected to be present in all devices with the capability to connect to internet.
As homes started getting bigger and so the expectation of a consumer to immediately connect and start using their newly bought devices, Wi-Fi is becoming a default technology that people expect even in their non-mobile devices like playstations, streaming devices etc.
Who doesn’t like convenience?
There are lot of standards and types in Wi-Fi that are constantly being developed and cared upon to enhance the technology. We are not getting into that in this article. The one we are going to see today is very simple.
Before getting into Wi-Fi let us make sure we get the basics right.
What are radio waves?
Wi-Fi uses radio waves to transmit data. Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with frequency range from 3 KHz to 300 GHz with their wavelengths ranging from 1 mm to 100 Km.
So, what do these terms wavelengths and frequencies actually mean?
Wavelength
In a wave, like ripples in water, the wavelength is defined as the distance between two crests as shown below. The length of one wave is also defined as one cycle.
Image Source: nasa.gov
Frequency
Since radio waves are from the family of electromagnetic waves, they travel at the same speed as light. Frequency is the number of waves that can pass through a given point at a given time. It is measured in Hertz (Hz) representing number of cycles per second.
For a given type of wave, frequency is inversely proportional to the wavelength. The shorter the cycle, the larger the frequency will be.
What is the difference between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi?
5 > 2.4 is true, that doesn’t mean that 5 GHz Wi-Fi will travel faster from your router to your phone than 2.4 GHz. As said before, Wi-Fi technology uses radio waves, both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz travel at the same speed as light.
5 GHz represents that 5 billion cycles pass a given point per second. 2.4 GHz represents 2.4 billion cycles pass a given point per second. Higher frequency represents higher energy. Higher energy represents the capacity to transmit high amount of information.
So, 5 GHz Wi-Fi provides much faster data transfer speeds than 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi does.
On the other hand, higher the frequency of a wave, higher it can get refracted when passing through objects such as walls, tables, doors, etc.
Although a 5 GHz Wi-Fi can provide much faster connectivity, it cannot provide reliable connectivity as the number of objects increases between the transmitter and the receiver when compared to what 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi provides.
Your 5 GHz Wi-Fi may provide poor data transfer and unreliable connectivity if you are far away in a different room from where your router is placed. At times when you are sitting in a different room from where your router is placed, separated by multiple walls, 2.4 GHz is good to go with.
Things become subjective upon defining the better one between the two.
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