West Quay Offices offer many Wi-Fi protocols and speeds for your devices. Wireless signals can transfer all sorts of data. They are essentially just electromagnetic waves travelling through the air on a specified spectrum of frequencies—the rate at which a signal vibrates. So our mysterious numbers mean that routers exchange information on 2.4 or 5 GHz frequencies, and now 6 GHz as well.
What is the difference between the frequencies?
Under ideal conditions, 2.4 GHz WiFi will support up to 450 Mbps or 600 Mbps, while 5 GHz Wi-Fi will support up to 1300 Mbps. But be careful! The maximum speed is dependent on the wireless standards we support and your device: 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, or 802.11ac.
The second case is bursts of noise around the 2.4 GHz spectrum.
The 2.4 GHz band is a pretty crowded place. Many devices use it, including Bluetooth devices, cordless phones, and even microwave ovens. This can cause a significant decrease in speed, or sometimes the total blocking of the Wi-Fi signal. The 5 GHz band is much less congested, which means you will likely get more stable connections and witness higher speeds.
2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz: pros and cons
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 GHz | Larger coverage area Better at penetrating solid objects | Lower data rate More prone to interference Usually, more devices use this frequency |
| 5 GHz | Higher data rate Less prone to interference Usually, fewer devices use this frequency | Smaller coverage area (except 802.11 ac) Worse at penetrating solid objects |
What are WiFi 4, WiFi 5, WiFi 6 and WiFi 7?
WiFi standards like IEEE 802.11ax or IEEE 802.11ac started to be confusing for consumers, so the Wi-Fi Alliance decided to simplify naming and clearly indicate technology progression. Let’s look at the latest standards, their names, and their features.
- 802.11n, also known as WiFi 4, was the first one that was “dual-band” enabled (both 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies).
- IEEE 802.11ac was renamed WiFi 5 and is the current popular standard for fast 5 GHz WiFi connections.
- The IEEE 802.11ax was renamed WiFi 6 and is now the incoming standard, bringing even more throughput and much lower latency.
- 802.11be, or WiFi 7, known for its extremely high throughput, is the first standard built from the ground up to run on the 6 GHz frequency. (It also runs on the 2.4 and 5 GHz spectrums to accommodate. WiFi 7 is nearly 5 times faster than Wi-Fi 6, with a maximum theoretical speed of 46 Gbps and an estimated real-world speed of 6 Gbps.
Comparing Speed
There can be a significant difference between the speed potential listed on a Wi-Fi device and what that device can really do in everyday use. Understanding the factors at play will help you understand how to get the best speed and performance possible.
Theoretical speed is the maximum speed that is usually listed for a device. This can be misleading, because even if all conditions are ideal, you may not reach this speed all the time.
Theoretical speed:
- Is the combined total for both uploading and downloading
- It is calculated based on a single device being connected to the network
- Does not consider wireless overhead, interference and distance
Real-world speed accounts for factors like:
- Sharing bandwidth with other devices connected to your WiFi network
- Interference from physical obstacles
- Interference from electronics
- Interference from nearby WiFi networks or wireless devices
- Signal loss resulting from the distance between your device and your wireless router
Keep in mind that every environment is different, and even in the same environment, you can get different speeds depending on the time of day and where you are located.
Maximum speed comparison
| 2.4 GHz | Theoretical Speed | Real-World Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 802.11b | 11 Mbps | 2 – 3 Mbps |
| 802.11g | 54 Mbps | 10 – 29 Mbps |
| 802.11n | 300 Mpbs | 150 Mbps |
| 5 GHz | Theoretical Speed | Real-World Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 802.11a | 6 – 54 Mbps | 3 – 32 Mbps |
| 802.11ac | 433 Mbps – 1.7 Gbps | 210 Mbps – 1 Gbps |
| 802.11n | 900 Mbps | 450 Mbps |
| 6 GHz | Theoretical Speed | Real-World Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 802.11ax | 7.3 Mbps – 2.4 Gbps | 1.7 Gbps |
| 802.11be | 7.3 Mbps – 5.7 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps |
