What is a Two-Band Wi-Fi Router (Dual-Band Wi-Fi)?

I decided to prepare a small article on dual-band routers. To tell what these devices are, how they differ from ordinary routers, what wi-fi 5GHz is, and whether you should buy a dual-band router now. I think this article will be more relevant now than ever, as wi-fi 5GHz is just beginning to enter our lives. Almost all new devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.) already have support for the new 5GHz networks. And network equipment manufacturers have already released several models of dual-band routers. And most importantly, there are already models at a very affordable price.

ADual-Band router is a regular router that can simply broadcast two Wi-Fi networks (that’s why it’s Dual-Band). Like all regular routers, it gives out Wi-Fi on the 2.4GHz frequency (it’s the most common now, and almost all Wi-Fi networks operate on this frequency). But it’s dual-band, so it also broadcasts a Wi-Fi network at 5GHz. This is the main feature of a dual-band router, and what distinguishes it from a regular router.

We’ve got that covered. Let’s now understand what wi-fi 5GHz means.

What is wi-fi 5GHz?

As I wrote above, now mostly all Wi-Fi networks operate on the frequency of 2.4GHz. Since this frequency is already very busy and Wi-Fi technology is developing, they developed support for wi-fi networks on the frequency of 5GHz. This allowed not only to move to a frequency that is almost free, but also to increase the speed of wi-fi. Simply put, there were more opportunities.

In terms of wireless network standards, the new and fastest 802.11ac standard only works in the 5GHz band. The 5GHz frequency only supports 802.11n and 802.11ac.

The main advantages that the average user will see: almost complete absence of interference, which means stable Wi-Fi connection, and higher internet speeds over wi-fi. And if you are not planning to switch to the new frequency, you can try to increase the speed of your wireless network with the tips from this article.

But, if you have a lot of neighboring Wi-Fi networks, and because of this constant connection failures, and low speed on wi-fi, then switching to a 5GHz Wi-Fi network is the right decision.

How does a Wireless Dual Band router work?

It works just like a regular router. It will simply broadcast two Wi-Fi networks. And if your device that you want to connect to Wi-Fi can work with networks at 5GHz, it will see two wireless networks. One of which will be on the new frequency. Connect to it and get all the benefits of the new technology. As a rule, it’s more speed.

And those devices that do not stick to 5GHz will connect to the 2.4GHz network. That’s it.

As for any differences, there are none. Except that in the control panel of the router you will need to set the settings (name, password) for two Wi-Fi networks. If you don’t need a 2.4GHz network for example, you can disable it. All this is done in the router settings.

I have already written about configuring the TP-LINK Archer C20i dual-band router. You can take a look at it.

What do I need to switch to 5GHz Wi-Fi?

We only need a dual-band router, and devices that support dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5GHz). All this can be found in the specifications of your smartphone, tablet, etc. On the support of new networks, I wrote a separate article: why a laptop, smartphone, or tablet does not see Wi-Fi network 5 GHz.

For a desktop computer, or even a laptop, you can purchase an external Wi-Fi receiver that supports dual-band wi-fi.

As for the dual-band routers themselves, there is already a choice at the moment, and not a small one. Almost every manufacturer has models from different price categories. The same Tp-Link Archer C20i. Inexpensive, interesting router. It costs about 40 dollars. There are cheaper models, for example: Xiaomi Mini wi-fi, Netis WF2710, Belkin Wireless N450 Dual-Band Router F9K1105ru. There are of course more expensive models: Asus RT-AC51U, TP-LINK Archer C50, D-Link DIR-825/AC, Zyxel Keenetic Extra, Asus RT-N56U, etc.

The choice is really big. A little more, and only Dual-Band routers will be left.

Is it worth buying a dual-band router and switching to 5GHz wi-fi?

I think it is definitely worth it. I recently bought a not cheap router Asus RT-N18U. So, it doesn’t support 5GHz networks. And after the purchase I realized that I made a mistake with the choice. After all, for this money it was possible to choose a dual-band router, which would be relevant much longer than this one.

Therefore, I believe that there is almost no point in buying a regular router without 5GHz support. I think a lot of people would agree with me. Especially if you are buying a router more expensive than $40. If you want to take an inexpensive router, for example TP-LINK TL-WR741ND, then yes, you can’t buy a dual-band router for that money. And if you want to spend a decent sum, then take only a router with support for 5GHz networks. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of money. After all, in a year, and maybe even sooner, you will want to move to wi-fi 5GHz, and will buy a new router.

And if you have everything working well now, no problems with Wi-Fi and speed, I don’t see the point of buying a new router. It’s better to wait a little longer. More new models will appear, and the price of dual-band routers should drop a bit.

Share your opinion on Dual-Band routers in the comments.

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Ramón

About wireless technology