Understanding how your WiFi works is crucial to getting the most out of it and enjoying a seamless internet connection. Do you use dual-band WiFi? Are you curious about how it functions? If yes, you are in the right place to discover more about this technology.
What does dual band WiFi mean? Dual-band WiFi is a modern technological solution that provides a faster and more stable connection to the internet. To maximize the use of your dual-band WiFi router and get the best internet experience, you must know the various components that make up the technology.
For this reason, we’ve curated this insightful piece, which will answer questions like ‘what is dual band WiFi?’, ‘what are frequency bands?’, and so on. Keep reading to get a solid picture of how a dual-band WiFi router works.
To understand a dual band WiFi router, we should break down the different components that make up the technology. Some of the primary features of this WiFi router are bands, which are the frequency ranges within the wireless spectrum authorized to carry WiFi.
As its name suggests, a dual-band WiFi router has two frequency bands, namely 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz. If you’re familiar with WiFi routers, you must have wondered what these figures mean.
Below is a detailed explanation of what they indicate, their various functions, and their connection to dual band WiFi meaning.
The discovery of the 2.4 GHz frequency is almost as old as the WiFi technology itself. In fact, the first-ever WiFi routers transmitted and received data on this frequency. At the 2.4 GHz frequency, a strong information signal can be transmitted over a relatively long distance or large area. A little scientific explanation should help you better understand how this works.
Frequency, in physics terms, refers to the regularity of wave energy or how often wave energy travels in space. So, the higher the signal frequency, the higher the energy it carries.
However, high-frequency signals can not move through heavy objects, like walls, doors, and metallic containers, without losing some part of their energy. Meanwhile, as they lose their energy, their ability to move over long distances and penetrate through subsequent obstacles wanes. Low-frequency signals, on the other hand, can move through solid objects over a long distance while maintaining their energy.
In essence, high-frequency signals cover shorter distances and undergo energy dissipation faster than low-frequency signals. For instance, 2.4 GHz has a lower frequency than 5.0 GHz, explaining why it can be transmitted over a large area.
The 2.4 GHz frequency is why you can maintain a strong WiFi connection even when you are far from the router.
However, a significant downside of this frequency is that it can get crowded very easily, as it transmits a smaller volume of information. Also, a 2.4 GHz WiFi network often suffers interference when there are several household electronic devices, affecting its overall speed and performance.
As explained earlier, the 5.0 GHz frequency has higher energy. Hence, it is faster and carries more information than its 2.4 GHz counterpart. Moreover, the 5.0 GHz band can avoid interference from other electronic devices in its surroundings.
Nevertheless, the range of its signals is relatively shorter, and they are weaker, especially when traveling through solid objects.
Having established the various WiFi frequency bands, we can look for answers to the ‘what is dual band WiFi?’ question and the technology behind the function of this router.
What is dual band WiFi? A dual band WiFi is the result of a need to create a wireless network that could cover a large area while maintaining a fast speed. It combines 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz frequency bands and their qualities in one router.
A dual-band router can send and receive data using both 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz frequency bands either interchangeably or simultaneously. So, it offers data to the devices connected to it on two frequency bands.
That being said, the selection of a frequency band primarily hinges on the compatibility of the connecting device. This means that when your smartphone or another device connects to a dual-band WiFi router, its network settings determine which of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz is a better fit for connection. Also, you can manually switch between the frequency bands.
However, in some situations, the WiFi router does not leave the choice of frequency to the device or the user. For instance, when the WiFi notices high traffic on the 2.4 GHz band, it automatically switches to the 5.0 GHz band. The technical term for this process is ‘band steering.’
It is important to stress that band steering is only available to electronic devices that support the 5.0 GHz band.
When dual-band WiFi routers first came onto the scene, they solved most of the problems internet service users encountered with single-band WiFi. Nevertheless, there were still certain limitations in early dual-band WiFi.
For example, the first-generation dual-band routers are unable to focus on various devices simultaneously. So, when multiple users are connected to the WiFi simultaneously, they experience a slow, unstable internet connection.
For this reason, the Multi-User - Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) technology was introduced in the subsequent releases of dual-band WiFi routers. With this solution, newer routers can maintain a fast, reliable internet connection on multiple devices at the same time.
If you have been paying attention, you must have identified reasons why single-band WiFi can not satisfy the internet connection needs of your home or office. Combining both bands in a WiFi router, on the other hand, offers features that accommodate multiple users on a single network - exactly what you, your family, and coworkers need.
With the 5.0 GHz frequency on the dual-band WiFi, there is less interference from other electronic gadgets, while the 2.4 GHz band ensures a strong internet connection is available over a large area. The MU-MIMO feature also allows the router to provide a steady, reliable network to multiple users simultaneously.
Furthermore, dual-band WiFi technology enables you to use various frequencies or channels on your mobile device. This means you can tailor your network configurations to suit your internet connection needs perfectly.
From the information in this article, you can easily deduce that dual-band WiFi is an upgrade on single-band WiFi and a more reliable way to connect to the internet. Nevertheless, after signing up for this technology, you need the best internet provider to get the most out of the two bands.
For super-speedy, secure, and reliable internet service, Rango is a perfect choice. We offer mouthwatering HiFi internet plans to serve a wide variety of needs - from gaming to remote work and running your own business.
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