We have been asked many times which Wifi frequency can be used by us for the purpose of playing games, which one is better, is 2.4 GHz good for gaming or the 5 GHz should be preferred for playing games.
In the realm of wireless technology, there are many choices to pick from. It is possible to choose between wired and wireless, based on the type of technology you prefer and the amount you are willing to invest.
Since this article is about gaming generally and wireless specifically so we’ll remove Ethernet (wired) in order to concentrate solely on the two standards that are in use in the wireless market: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Wireless technology has developed enough in the past that people must be aware of distinctions between these two standards prior to buying an item of hardware like a mouse or keyboard that uses either. This is particularly important when it comes to online games since the latency factor will be a major consideration regardless of the price you shell out for an internet-connected router.
The majority of desktops and laptops have a 2.4 GHz of wireless connectivity option which comes pre-built and is used for the connection with the web, mobile phones, and other peripherals, such as printers or external drives.
The latest lineup of PC. laptops and other devices in the market are seen using the 5 GHz band which comes limited to top-notch routers and gaming equipment that are made to provide gaming enthusiasts an edge in e-sports.
The technology isn’t too different than previous generations apart from the fact that it comes with better security features and higher processing. Systems that are known to support both standards usually function smoothly if they’re set up correctly. If not, you’ll encounter issues where one standard will not function in the same way as the other wireless equipment like a mouse, etc. If you’ve got the correct hardware, compatibility shouldn’t be too big of a problem.
Is 2.4 GHz Good for Gaming?
As of now, gamers should stay with 2.4 GHz routers because of their greater coverage and faster speeds that are still able to penetrate your walls and ensure you have a stable connection. Since 5 GHz instruments are limited mostly to top-end wireless systems, you won’t find them in homes equipped with any other than a top-quality router. If you’re planning on organizing a LAN party in your home or small business, it’s advised to purchase an expensive router that can support both standards, but in many instances, it’s easier and less expensive to utilize a single frequency band for all your home networking requirements.
Utilizing 2.4GHz or 5GHz to play will depend on choosing the most suitable option for your region and on the hardware. A majority of users are content with 2.4GHz routers, however, if you own a top-of-the-line router that is able to run both bands, it could be beneficial for you to go with 5GHz whenever it is possible because of the convenience of having one band can be used by all devices, rather than two bands that may not be compatible with one another.
It is important to keep in mind that the majority of wireless USB adapters operate at 2.4GHZ which means that even if your router is compatible with both bands, but the adapter you use doesn’t have both bands, you’re only using the 2.4GHz band, which is only half the bandwidth of that band on 5GHz.
Benefits of Using 2.4 GHz
2.4GHZ is the preferred frequency for streaming HD media from multiple sources simultaneously with several devices connected, or an 802.11n router that utilizes beamforming instead of traditional 2×2 MIMO routers without external antennas – these switches typically only support speeds up to 300Mbps due to hardware like NICs and older mobile phones.
Anything above this, however, requires an 802.11ac router for faster speeds compared to 2.4GHZ which can be shared among multiple devices. This ensures that a 100Mbps device won’t impede your 400mbps device the way it would with only one radio band.
Wealthy readers with access to the latest generation routers don’t need to read this article; rather, we’ll focus on actual gaming performance and output from both 2.4 GHz processors and 5 GHz ones.
Remember, even if an electronic device like an Ethernet cord has faster speeds than another, that doesn’t guarantee superior quality to Wi-Fi due to how devices handle transitioning from wired network to wireless WAN (with some exceptions such as USB 3.1/Thunderbolt for driving an LCD wirelessly at maximum speed). We will investigate if there are solutions for this issue as well.
Benefits of Using 5 GHz
5GHZ offers faster speed and is less crowded since more devices support this new standard and older ones as it’s backward compatible with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band. Therefore, having two routers for both bands may be necessary unless you don’t own many wireless devices or most of your neighbors are also using 5GHZ, in which case there won’t be much congestion. If using 2.4GHz then changing to 20Mhz bandwidth mode on your AP will improve performance by 10-30%.
Although 5GHZ has a shorter range, it’s really not an issue when playing video games since you’re usually only 10 feet from your router and depending on where it’s set up, the 2.4GHz band may be susceptible to congestion or interference which could cause excessive ping, disconnections and lag. Therefore, 5GHZ is usually the best option for gamers when looking for speed.
FAQs
Which frequency can pass through walls 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz?
The 5 GHz frequency is known to transmit data at a higher frequency and obviously more speed, whereas the 2.4 GHz on the other is known to transmit data at a slower pace but the range in 2.4 GHz is much wider in comparison to the prior one.
The frequency range is less within the 5- GHz band due to higher frequencies that are unable to penetrate solid objects like floors and walls.
Which is better 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz?
A 2.4 frequency connection can travel further at slower speeds, while frequency 5GHz gives higher speeds but with a smaller distance. … In the event that you own several of them in your home or in condos or apartments with other people the 2.4 band is more likely to be crowded and can affect the speed and quality of the signal.
Which is better 5 GHz or Ethernet?
To put it into simpler terms, 5Ghz is the fastest Wi-Fi network that has been tested to date. However, it’s not as efficient as a properly set up Ethernet connection. It doesn’t matter if you’ve put the router in front of it, Ethernet would still be more efficient than 5Ghz Wi-Fi at any time.
Is 2.4 GHz good for Streaming?
In reality, you should utilize in general, should use the 2.4GHz frequency in order to link devices to low-bandwidth activities such as surfing through the Internet. On the other hand, 5GHz is the most suitable frequency for high-bandwidth devices and things like gaming or streaming HDTV.
How many devices can be connected with 2.4 GHz?
The router does not support the vast majority of devices. After having read more on the subject on this website and other websites it appears that on a 2.4 GHz band, there’s a limit of 25,30 gadgets capable of being connected to one access point or router.
Mike is an experienced video game journalist and enthusiast with more than a decade of experience in the gaming industry. As founder and lead editor of mygamingsetup.net, Mike strives to keep gamers up-to-date with the latest gaming news, guides, tips and tricks for popular video games.