Right now, the world is getting faster day by day. You have to keep up with the speed, especially on the Internet. Depending on the speed and range you are looking for, you will have to switch between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Before you choose the ideal bandwidth for your household or office, you have to look at the different features of both bandwidths.

What is the Difference between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz?

Both these bandwidths will work for you but they are both superior in their own regards and you have to choose based on your own preference.

2.4 GHz

This frequency is best for those people who are comfortable with compromising on speed. The 2.4 GHz works at slower speeds but it has a longer range. So, if you live in a place where you are worried more about range than about speed, then you can use this bandwidth.

5 GHz

This frequency is best for those people who focus more on speed than range. It allows faster transmission of data but has a shorter range. This means that it will possibly not reach the people sitting far away from the router.

Difference Between Frequencies

You have to understand how interferences affect frequencies. 2.4 GHz has a shorter frequency as compared to the 5 GHz bandwidth. Shorter frequencies are able to pass through interferences such as microwaves, baby monitors etc. Thus, if there are a lot of interferences in your home or office, 2.4 GHz is an ideal option for you to use as the frequencies will be able to reach your device despite the interferences.

Also, if your device is not rooted to a spot, such as your mobile phone that you take everywhere, you can use 2.4 GHz as it will give a connection even in the furthest corner of the house. On the other hand, the longer frequencies of 5 GHz are unable to pass through these interferences. So, 5 GHz is good for those places where there are not many interferences.

Does Bandwidth depend on the Router?

Bandwidth surely does depend on the router. Your router should be compatible with the bandwidth that you want to use. If you are using an older router, it will support 2.4 GHz but might not have support for 5 GHz. On the other hand, newer routers have support for 5 GHz too.

You can switch from one bandwidth to another, by changing the settings in the router. Some routers only allow one bandwidth while others have dual functionality. On these routers, you can use 2.4 and 5 GHz, both. However, the single-bandwidth routers only let you use 2.4 GHz on them.

Is Netgear Router Compatible with 2.4 GHz?

Netgear has been a popular name in the market for a very long time. They introduced one of the fastest routers in the world. The company says that it caters to customers whose needs are interlinked with Wi-Fi.

If you have a modern Netgear router, it will have support for 5 GHz. By default, whenever you are using a connection, it will be 2.4 GHz in its working. However, you can switch it to 5 GHz whenever you want.

Switching from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz Netgear

In the Netgear routers, the bandwidths are shown as radios and you can enable or disable them depending on how you need the router to work. Here are the instructions for changing from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz on your Netgear router.

Step 1: Launching a Browser

First of all, you have to go to the login site of the router. Connect your computer or mobile phone to the router and open a web browser on this device. You have to connect to the browser using the connection of your own router.

Type in http://www.routerlogin.net and you will be redirected to a login window. This is where you have to type in the information for your particular router.

Step 2: Enter the Credentials

The next step is to enter your credentials into the login window. In the user name box, type in the username, and for the password, type in the password. These are case-sensitive so make sure you are typing in the right information. If you do not have the credentials, then you can type in the default information. The default user name is admin. In the password box, type in password.

This will open the BASIC home page.

Step 3: Change the Settings

Now, change the settings here. Go to Advanced and then to Advanced Setup. Now, click on Wireless Settings. This will open the settings page for Advanced Wireless Settings.

Here, you will see two options. You can either choose the 2.4 GHz or the 5 GHz. There will be two checkboxes labeled with ‘Enable Wireless Router Radio’. Enable the 5 GHz box from this window and uncheck the 2.4 GHz box.

Click on Apply to apply these settings.

Benefits of Switching to 5 GHz

When you switch from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz, you will have the following benefits.

Speed

First of all, you will be able to enjoy faster Internet speeds. The 5 GHz frequency is longer so the connection is faster.

Better for Offices

In offices, you need faster speeds for loading pages or downloading things. 5 GHz is better for office usage as there are not many interferences there so the 5 GHz connection is suitable for such an environment.

Conclusion

If you have a Netgear router, you can change the settings because it supports both bandwidths. With a 5 GHz, you are able to enjoy better speeds and faster connections so it works best for today’s time where we have to keep up with the speed this world is moving. You can easily change the bandwidth to 5 GHz whenever you want. When you need to change it back to 2.4 GHz, you can use the same instructions to check the 2.4 GHz box and enable it.

Did this article help Fix your Problem?