2.4ghz WiFi vs 5ghz WiFi

One of the more common questions we get asked is :
"Why do you use 2.4ghz WiFi and will you be upgrading to a more modern WiFi like 5ghz?"

While this question is common, it is actually a bit of a misnomer just in the question itself.

2.4ghz is often though of as "older" technology but it actually isn't "OLDER" as much as it is just different.

The primary question between 2.4ghz and 5ghz is really a question between speed and distance, not age of technology.

Speed

Let's talk about SPEED and help you decide if it actually matters for you.

For the majority of customers when we test it out, we find that most customers' internet usage requirements is far lower than even getting close to maxing out 2.4ghz.

2.4ghz is capable of 450mbs

5ghz is capable of 1,300 Mbps

While the difference in speed is VERY large, the question should actually be "what are your actual speed requirements".

Let's put this into perspective. According to Netflix's website, to stream their ultra 4k content you only require a 15mb internet connection. That means that you could be streaming 30 4k movies at once before you tap out the 2.4ghz connection!

Most customers require distance and signal more than speed, but our internet service providers always want to sell us a faster connection instead of providing better equipment. Saving $15-$30 a month on your Internet bill and putting that into proper equipment is something we recommend a lot more than always getting FASTER internet or WiFi.

Distance

The other primary difference between 2.4ghz and 5ghz is distance and how well the signal can penetrate through objects, to help ensure you have no dead spots on your property for WiFi. In today's day and age with portable devices that use WiFi, outdoor devices like WATTS and security companies, having a proper signal and distance to your WiFi is far more important than any other metric with our WiFi equipment.

2.4ghz being a lower frequency allows for better penetration through walls and other objects, as well as a longer distance. This means that you have fewer dead spots on your property and more WiFi coverage in general.

5ghz being designed more for speed, will not penetrate walls nearly as well as 2.4ghz and will also not have the range that 2.4ghz has.

Summary

We highly recommend evaluating your requirements in your home, and unless you are uploading and downloading large files constantly, have business requirements, or power users requirements, it is quite rare that anything over 2.4ghz and 100 MB internet is required for any family of 4.

WATTS uses 2.4ghz to help ensure that a solid, strong signal can make it's way from the inside of your home to the exterior of your home.

Unfortunately, to adhere to most building codes and electrical regulations the control box is sometimes installed where a strong WiFi signal is not preset. Because of this, we always recommend a MESH WiFi system that is NOT supplied by your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and has a strong 2.4ghz signal such as the Google Nest WiFi (premium), or the TP-Link - Deco WIFI 6 system (budget).