Wi-Fi > FAQs [What is 2.4GHz vs 5GHz?]

2.4GHz and 5GHz are two different frequencies that a WiFi network can broadcast on. Higher frequencies allow for more data to be sent in the same period of time. Lower frequencies can travel a further distance than a higher frequency.

2.4GHz and 5GHz are two different frequencies that a WiFi network can broadcast on, and there are a few differences between them:

Speeds

The higher the frequency, the more wave cycles, or times that the wave goes down and back up in a given period of time. This allows for more data to be sent in the same period of time. This is the data rate, or how fast the speeds can potentially be. In short, 5GHz is a higher frequency and thus has more cycles in a second compared to 2.4GHz, and thus faster data rates are possible.

Coverage

A lower frequency, of the same power level, can travel a further distance than a higher frequency. The higher frequency is generally absorbed into the medium that it is transmitted through. This includes things like walls or even the air. 2.4GHz can cover a wider area than 5GHz with the same amount of power.

Crowding

The 5GHz band is larger than the 2.4GHz band. The available spectrum in 5Ghz is about 7 to 8 times larger than 2.4GHz. On 2.4GHz there are only 3 non-overlapping channels (20MHz wide) while on 5GHz there are 25. Because of this, it is easier to find channels on 5GHz that do not have any channel interference from other WiFi broadcasts. Therefore, 5GHz is often better suited for shared office buildings where multiple companies are broadcasting WiFi networks.

How does Meter utilize 2.4GHz and 5GHz?

Meter pre-configures 3 Wireless SSIDs by default. For example, in the Meter office, we have:

• Meter

• Meter-2G

• Meter-Guest

The main private SSID "Meter" is a 5GHz-only SSID. Generally, it is best to use 5GHz on your private WiFi network for the speeds and reduction in channel interference.

The "Meter-2G" SSID is also a private network but is a 2.4GHz-only SSID. We make this SSID available for devices that may only be able to connect to 2.4GHz such as some printers, IoT devices, or legacy devices that may not have 5GHz capabilities.

"Meter-Guest" is a combined 2.4GHz and 5GHz SSID. When clients connect to this SSID, the client device decides to connect via 5GHz or 2.4GHz.