When setting up WiFi in your business’s office or workplace, you might be wondering what waveband to use. All wireless networks operate on a waveband. You can download and upload data over these wavebands. For a better understanding of wavebands and the role they play in WiFi technology, keep reading.
What Are Wavebands?
Wavebands are radio frequency ranges. They are commonly used to facilitate WiFi communications. All routers and other WiFi devices operate on a waveband. Also known as a frequency band, it designates the radio frequencies for transferred data. Data transferred over the WiFi will be confined to the specified waveband.
How Wavebands Work
To better understand how wavebands work, you must first familiarize yourself with the basics of WiFi technology. WiFi technology allows devices to communicate with each other using radio waves. These radio waves are transmitted and received over radio frequencies. Wavebands represent these radio frequencies.
Routers and other WiFi devices use radio transceivers to transmit and receive data over wavebands. When a connected device wants to communicate with another connected device, it sends a request using a specific channel that’s confined to the selected waveband. The receiving device will respond on the same channel, thereby allowing the two devices to communicate with each other.
2.4 vs 5 GHz Wavebands
There are two primary wavebands used for WiFi communication: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band is the original WiFi band. It’s used by most older-model WiFi devices. The 5 GHz band is newer.
When compared to the 5 GHz band, the 2.4 GHz band offers a longer range but lower data rates. The 5 GHz band offers higher data rates but a shorter range.
Another difference between 2.4 and 5 GHz involves interference. They are both susceptible to interference from other radio-emitting devices. If another device emits radio waves on the same band, it may interfere with the WiFi. The 2.4 GHz band is more susceptible to interference, though, than the 5 GHz band.
Not surprisingly, the 5 GHz band is faster than its 2.4 GHZ predecessor. It boasts a wider bandwidth that allows for faster uploading and downloading speeds. The disadvantage of using 5 GHz, however, is the range. With its shorter range, its applications for WiFi are somewhat limited. Nonetheless, for offices, homes and other small spaces, 5 GHz is typically the preferred band for WiFi.