You actually have to use a switch to tell it the band you want to use. A selectable dual-band router offers a 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi network, but you can only use one at a time. A dual-band router is one that broadcasts both a 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz signal from the same unit, essentially providing you with two Wi-Fi networks and the best of both worlds.
The good news is that most modern routers act as dual- or tri-band routers. RELATED: What Are Dual-Band and Tri-Band Routers? Of course, you may also be able to mitigate that shorter range through the use of range extenders or mesh Wi-Fi systems, but that will mean a bigger investment. It’s also got a shorter effective range than the 2.4 GHz band. On the other hand, the shorter waves used by the 5 GHz band makes it less able to penetrate walls and solid objects. The 5 GHz band is much less congested, which means you will likely get more stable connections. RELATED: What Are Mesh Wi-Fi Systems, and How Do They Work? However, because so many devices use the 2.4 GHz band, the resulting congestion can cause dropped connections and slower-than-expected speeds. So it’s arguably better if you need better range on your devices or you have a lot of walls or other objects in the areas where you need coverage.
The longer waves used by the 2.4 GHz band are better suited to longer ranges and transmission through walls and solid objects. Old cordless phones, garage door openers, baby monitors, and other devices tend to use the 2.4 GHz band. The 2.4 GHz band is a pretty crowded place, because it’s used by more than just Wi-Fi. The second big caveat is that important phrase we mentioned: “ideal conditions.”
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RELATED: Why You Should Upgrade Your Router (Even If You Have Older Gadgets) You can learn more about how those standards affect things in our guides on whether you need 802.11ax and whether you should upgrade your wireless router. First, the maximum speed you might see is also dependent on what wireless standard a router supports - 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, or 802.11ax.