Difference between Wireless-N and Wireless-G. Story.
In 2002 there was a significant event - a new device appeared on the home device market. wireless standard Wireless-G. At the time, Wireless-G promised speeds about 5 times faster than the legacy Wireless-B, and, over its long reign, became the standard for what most people understood as “Wi-Fi.” Everything was clear and simple. For example, when buying a Wireless-G adapter, a person understood what speed he could expect from this device, as well as the fact that it would definitely be compatible with his Wireless-G router.
Some time ago, after a long development, the Wireless-N standard was adopted, which, again, in turn, promises an almost fivefold increase in speed compared to Wireless-G. However, having received a similar name, only replacing “G” with “N”, the standard essentially differs significantly in the ideology of compatibility compared to Wireless-G.
We'll try in simple language explain the differences between different Wireless-N devices. In this article we will only touch on frequencies, without touching on the number and combinations of receivers/transmitters, which we will talk about later. In this article we specifically avoid abstruse technical terms. Moreover, we deliberately omit or identify some terms, such as transmission frequency, channel width, because they do not significantly affect our presentation.
What is wireless frequency
Let's try to think of data or packets as cars that move in both directions from point A (your computer) to point B ( wireless point access). Frequency can be thought of as an invisible “road” or “highway” that runs from your router to your computer. At the same time, in our apartments, there are often many different intersecting and non-intersecting “roads”.
For example, from a radio telephone to a base, from a radio-controlled car to a control panel, etc. There are also unidirectional fields, that is, “cars” that travel in one direction, often without even a goal, such as, for example, the radiation of a microwave oven, which emanating from the oven are radio interference.
What is frequency crossing
Imagine that you are sitting at home and watching on your laptop several Wireless-G networks that are working simultaneously. This, first of all, means that in addition to your “cars” there are also other “cars” driving along your “road”. Only they travel from their neighbors’ computer to another access point, which, for example, is located at your neighbors’. You use the same “road”, that is, frequency, to transmit packets or “pass cars”. Moreover, due to the fact that the wireless environment is distributed, “cars” can very often collide if they do not have enough space on the “road”.
What are wireless channels
To make it easier for cars to drive on the road, people came up with the idea of dividing roads into lanes. Similarly in the case of radio waves, the frequency is divided into channels. When moving in different lanes, cars do not interfere with each other, which means there is no collision and no worsening of traffic.
Accordingly, if a neighbor configures his access point on a different channel, then the two of you will connect on the same frequency, but will work on different channels, that is, on the same “road” “cars” will drive in different lanes and there will be no collisions. This means there will be no loss of traffic.
What are the main differences between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz?
2.4 GHz frequency - narrow and congested
The 2.4 GHz frequency is the most used in this moment for transmitting information via Wi-Fi, this is primarily due to the fact that both the ancient Wireless-B standard and the recently departed Wireless-G operate at this frequency. This, first of all, means that if you see several wireless networks at home, then there is a high probability that they operate at the 2.4 GHz frequency. Whether you're using Wireless-B, Wireless-G or 2.4 Wireless-N, you're driving on the same highway.
First of all, this means that “road 2.4” is extremely congested with “cars” and collisions are virtually inevitable, which causes a loss of speed and sometimes quality of data transmission. This can be especially noticeable if we start using applications that rely on real-time data transfer, for example, streaming video or audio (voice calls). In this case, we really need the “machines” that carry video or voice information not to get lost or collide.
The main factor why technology is moving towards 5 GHz remains that the 2.4 road is quite narrow. Indeed, according to the standard, the 2.4 frequency can only be divided into three non-overlapping channels. Thus, Highway 2.4 can only be divided into three lanes. Thus, if you open your laptop and see more than three access points operating at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, this means that at least two of them are already broadcasting on overlapping channels.
Another additional negative factor for 2.4 Hz is the presence of “side noise” in the wireless channel, which worsens the channel’s permeability. An example would be microwaves, which, in fact, are now in every home.
5 GHz - good, but not widespread
Regarding 5 GHz, this “highway” according to the standard can be divided into 19 non-overlapping “bands”, that is, the frequency can be divided into 19 non-overlapping channels, which makes this road extremely attractive to use, especially in apartment buildings.
It must also be said that now most wireless equipment manufacturers have just begun serious work on devices in the 5 GHz standard and their market share is small. This means that the likelihood that your neighbors also have a 5 GHz access point is much less likely than that they have a 2.4 GHz access point.
Thus, if we move on to our model with roads, then the 5 GHz frequency currently provides a highway - a 19-lane route, which is almost unloaded. That is why, when it comes to choosing a device for transmitting traffic that depends on delays, it is better to choose devices that support 5 GHz. Among other things, the transmission speed, even with clean channels without intersections, is often slightly higher at 5 GHz.
The disadvantage of 5 GHz is that it is not yet very widespread, which does not always allow you to use the 5 GHz frequency. However, most adapters or routers that support 5 GHz also support 2.4 GHz, making these devices compatible with other standards.
Wireless-N from Linksys
More and more devices supporting the 5 GHz frequency are appearing in the Linksys product line. Firstly, these are the Linksys WUSB600N and Linksys WMP600N network adapters, which can operate at both 2.4 and 5 GHz. The Linksys WAP610N access points and the Linksys WET610N bridge also support both 2.4 and 5 GHz.
As for routers, there is the Linksys WRT320N router, which supports either 2.4 or 5 GHz, like all the devices listed above, as well as the flagship model, the Linksys WRT610N. Linksys WRT610N supports simultaneous operation of two transmitters - 2.4 and 5 GHz, which allows you to use the maximum available functionality wireless network.
Not all phones, even modern ones, are equipped with Wi-Fi modules of the 802.11ac standard, which provides operation at a frequency of 5 GHz and data transfer speeds of up to 1.3 Gbit/s. It is fully compatible with other Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n standards. High speed allows for the transmission of volumetric video signals high resolution. Below - best smartphones with 5 GHz Wi-Fi support.
1st place – Honor 10
The new flagship from Huawei – Honor 10 – appeared quite recently and managed to collect positive reviews. It is equipped with a Wi-Fi module of the 802.11ac standard.
Options:
- Screen with a diagonal of 5.84 inches and a resolution of 2280x1080.
- Camera with 2 16/24 MP modules, f/1.8 aperture and artificial intelligence support. She herself determines the plot and sets the shooting settings.
- Front camera with a resolution of 24 megapixels.
- Processor: HiSilicon Kirin 970 with Mali-G72 MP12 video processor.
- 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage.
- Battery 3400 mAh.
The device, in addition to supporting Wi-Fi standard 802.11ac is a cool modern device with high performance and a cool camera, large memory capacity and high battery life.
2nd place – Apple iPhone X
A controversial phone that has not received clear positive reviews, but is a modern, technologically advanced device that includes the best modules.
Options:
- AMOLED display with a diagonal of 5.8 inches and a resolution of 2436x1125.
- Camera with 12 and 12 megapixel resolutions, optical stabilization and f/1.8 aperture. At one time it was recognized as the best in the world, but by mid-2018 it was not the best.
- Wi-Fi 802.11ac (5 GHz).
- Processor: Apple A11 Bionic, 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of memory.
The advantages include proprietary iOS, a cool camera and revolutionary 3D scanning technology, although there are complaints about the accuracy of its operation.
3rd place – Xiaomi Mi Note 3
A new smartphone on the market, which has flagship characteristics low price. It is still difficult to find it on sale, but you can order it in China.
- Full HD screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches.
- Dual camera 12 and 12 megapixels, optical stabilization, f/1.8 aperture.
- Wi-Fi 802.11ac (5 GHz).
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor with Adreno 512.
- 4 GB RAM and 64 GB memory.
- 3500 mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology.
The advantages of the phone include not only fast wifi, but also a good camera, display, NFC chip, battery life - it works for 1.5 days without any complaints. At its low cost, a phone with cool characteristics and excellent build quality is recommended.
4th place – Huawei P20 Lite
The “younger version” of the cool Huawei P20 camera phone received weaker hardware and reduced functionality, but the price has also dropped significantly. For just 20 thousand rubles you can get an excellent flagship with high-quality photography.
Options:
- HiSilicon Kirin 659 with Mali-T830 MP2 video processor.
- Camera with 16 and 2 megapixel resolutions, f/2.2 aperture.
- Front camera 16 MP.
- Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC, facial recognition (though it's not 3D scanning).
- 3000 mAh battery.
5th place – Nokia 7 Plus
The device is somewhere between flagships and budget phones, differing in performance, cameras and autonomy.
Options:
- IPS display with a diagonal of 6 inches and 2K resolution.
- Dual camera of 12 and 13 megapixels and f/1.75 aperture; front - with a resolution of 16 megapixels.
- New mid-range Snapdragon 660 processor with Adreno 512 video accelerator.
- 4 GB RAM and 64 GB memory.
- Battery 3800 mAh.
- Cool design, fast Wi-Fi that supports a frequency of 5 GHz, the presence of a full-fledged NFC chip, and most importantly, “bare” Android without a shell, which works normally, does not create unnecessary loads and is regularly updated. Judging by the reviews, the phone is great - our recommendations. This also includes Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 8.
6-10 places
There are other cool phones with 5GHz Wi-Fi. Let's list them below:
- ASUS ZenFone 5 ZE620KL (28,000 rubles)
- OnePlus 6 (42-43 thousand rubles)
- Samsung Galaxy S9+ (67,000 rubles)
- Sony Xperia XZ1 (45,000 rubles)
- LG V30+ (35,000 rubles)
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Bought today Tp-link router Archer C20i to test it and write some setup instructions. One is dual-band, broadcasts a Wi-Fi network at a frequency of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. I turned it on and discovered that the laptop and my phone did not see the Wi-Fi network, which was broadcast at a frequency of 5 GHz. And here iPad tablet mini 2 easily detected this network and connected to it. New phone Meizu M2 Note also saw without problems new network.
Everything here is very simple and clear. Not all devices can connect to Wi-Fi networks that operate at 5 GHz. The adapter built into the laptop simply does not support these networks. Since dual-band routers appeared relatively recently, only new devices can work on these networks. And if you decide to switch to the 5 GHz frequency, then you need to make sure that your devices support it. True, dual-band routers broadcast two Wi-Fi networks, at 5 and 2.4 GHz. Therefore, devices that do not support the new frequency will be able to connect to a regular wireless network.
Briefly about Wi-Fi networks at a frequency of 5 GHz, the main advantage is that this frequency is freer and there is less interference. There are simply already places where it is simply impossible to use 2.4 GHz, due to large quantity networks and interference. And it doesn’t even always save. Disadvantages: shorter range Wi-Fi coverage networks, compared to the 2.4 GHz frequency.
So I decided to make a short note and explain why some devices do not see Wi-Fi networks at the new frequency, and how to find out whether your laptop or other device supports 5 GHz networks.
One important point. If the device's characteristics indicate support, then it can definitely work with networks in the 5 GHz range. But if only 802.11a/b/g/ is indicated there n, this does not mean that there is no support for the new frequency, since the 5 GHz frequency works with the 802.11n and 802.11ac standard.
How do you know if a laptop supports 5GHz Wi-Fi?
First of all, look at the characteristics of your laptop, preferably on the official website. If it says support for 802.11ac, dual-band Wi-Fi, or just says 5 GHz, then everything is fine.
You can also go to Device Manager, and open the Network Adapters tab, click right click mouse on the Wireless adapter, and select Properties. Next, go to the Advanced tab, and information on 5 GHz support should be indicated there.
The very inscription "Dual Band" in the title Wi-Fi adapter but it says that there is support for networks in two bands.
On my laptop, there is no such support, and there is no information about this in the device manager.
And if you turned on a dual-band router, and the laptop sees only one network, then it’s clear that there is no support for networks at the 5 GHz frequency.
Wi-Fi 5GHz support on smartphones and tablets
As for mobile devices, all information on wireless modules is indicated in the specifications. If it says support for 802.11ac, dual-band, or 5 GHz, then everything is supported and will work.
What to do if there is no 5 GHz support?
Simply connect to networks at 2.4 GHz. And if you just need to switch to a new frequency, and the laptop does not support it, then in this case you can buy external USB Wi-Fi adapter that supports 5 GHz frequency. I wrote more about these adapters. True, this solution is only possible for laptops, and desktop computers. If you have mobile device, then you have to measure yourself.
The new frequency does not have any special or serious advantages. And the transition to new standards will happen automatically over time, even unnoticed by us. As I wrote above, the exception is places where it is simply impossible to use wireless internet at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, due to a lot of interference.
If your device supports 5 GHz networks but doesn't see them
If you are convinced that your adapter, laptop, or mobile device supports networks at a frequency of 5 GHz, but does not see them, you can try experimenting with the channel and channel width settings of the Wi-Fi network itself. You can change these parameters in the router settings in the section with wireless network settings. Try, for example, setting the channel width to 40 MHz, and some static channel from the list. Just don't set the channel too high. You can set it to 36th. Or leave the channel on auto and change only the channel width. I showed the example of a router from TP-Link.
After changing the settings, do not forget to save the settings and reboot the router.
Wi-Fi - how much there is in this sound... I think everyone knows that Wi-Fi is wireless the local network. And it would seem that there can be something complicated in Wi-Fi, everything is simple, but it wasn’t enough, for example, to read the specification of the router. What is not written there - IEEE802.11n, IEEE802.11b, IEEE802.11g,Frequency range 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz. To figure this out you need to have two higher education in the IT field. But in reality, everything is not as complicated as it seems; in this article I will try to explain what the numbers and numbers that accompany Wi-Fi devices mean.
So let's start with IEEE standards (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is an international non-profit association of specialists in the field of technology, a world leader in the development of standards for radio electronics and electrical engineering. The main goal of IEEE is standardization in the field of IT. So, in order to distinguish between standards, after the abbreviation IEEE, numbers are written that correspond to a specific group of standards, for example:
- Ethernet is a standard of the IEEE 802.3 group
- WiFi is a standard of the IEEE 802.11 group
- WiMAx is a standard of the IEEE 802.16 group
| IEEE standard |
Name of technology in English | Frequency range of networks, GHz | Year of Ratification by the WiFi Alliance | Theoretical throughput, Mbit/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 802.11b | Wireless b | 2,4 | 1999 | 11 |
| 802.11a | Wireless a | 5 | 2001 | 54 |
| 802.11g | Wireless g | 2,4 | 2003 | 54 |
| Super G | 2,4 | 2005 | 108 | |
| 802.11n | Wireless N, 150Mbps | 2,4 | - | 150 |
| Wireless N Speed | 2,4 | - | 270 | |
| Wireless N, 300Mbps | 2,4 | 2006 | 300 | |
| Wireless Dual Band N | 2,4 and 5 | 2009 | 300 | |
| Wireless N, 450Mbps | 2.4/ 2.4 and 5 | - | 450 | |
| 802.11ac | Wireless ac | 5 | - | 1300 |
From this table it can be seen that with each new standard, the speed of the Wi-Fi network is steadily increasing. If you see IEEE 802.11 b/g/n on any device (router, laptop, etc.), this means that the device supports three standards: 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n (at the time of writing this is the most popular combinations, since the 802.11a standard is outdated and uses the 5 GHz frequency band, and 802.11ac has not yet gained much popularity).
It's time to figure it out frequency ranges in which Wi-Fi networks operate, there are two of them - 2.4 GHz (more precisely, the frequency band 2400 MHz-2483.5 MHz) and 5 GHz (more precisely, the range 5.180-5.240 GHz and 5.745-5.825 GHz).
Most devices operate at 2.4 GHz, which means using the 2400 MHz-2483.5 MHz band with a step frequency of 5 MHz. these stripes form channels, for Russia there are 13 of them
Channel Low frequency Center frequency High frequency
1
2.401 2.412
2.423
2
2.406 2.417
2.428
3
2.411 2.422
2.433
4
2.416 2.427
2.438
5
2.421 2.432
2.443
6
2.426 2.437
2.448
7
2.431 2.442
2.453
8
2.436 2.447
2.458
9
2.441 2.452
2.463
10
2.446 2.457
2.468
11
2.451 2.462
2.473
12
2.456 2.467
2.478
13
2.461 2.472
2.483
Frequency channels in the 5GHz spectral band:
| Channel | Frequency, GHz | Channel | Frequency, GHz | Channel | Frequency, GHz | Channel | Frequency, GHz | |||||||
| 34 | 5,17 | 62 | 5,31 | 149 | 5,745 | 177 | 5,885 | |||||||
| 36 | 5,18 | 64 | 5,32 | 15 | 5,755 | 180 | 5,905 | |||||||
| 38 | 5,19 | 100 | 5,5 | 152 | 5,76 | |||||||||
| 40 | 5,2 | 104 | 5,52 | 153 | 5,765 | |||||||||
| 42 | 5,21 | 108 | 5,54 | 155 | 5,775 | |||||||||
| 44 | 5,22 | 112 | 5,56 | 157 | 5,785 | |||||||||
| 46 | 5,23 | 116 | 5,58 | 159 | 5,795 | |||||||||
| 48 | 5,24 | 120 | 5,6 | 160 | 5,8 | |||||||||
| 50 | 5,25 | 124 | 5,62 | 161 | 5,805 | |||||||||
| 52 | 5,26 | 128 | 5,64 | 163 | 5,815 | |||||||||
| 54 | 5,27 | 132 | 5,66 | 165 | 5,825 | |||||||||
| 56 | 5,28 | 136 | 5,68 | 167 | 5,835 | |||||||||
| 58 | 5,29 | 140 | 5,7 | 171 | 5,855 | |||||||||
| 60 | 5,3 | 147 | 5,735 | 173 | 5,865 | |||||||||
Accordingly, in the Russian Federation we have the following non-overlapping channels with a width of 20 MHz indoors:
1. 5150-5250 MHz
36: 5180 MHz
40: 5200 MHz
44: 5220 MHz
48: 5240 MHz (this channel is effective if the next band is used)
2. 5250-5350 MHz(check the possibility of using this band)
52: 5260 MHz
56: 5280 MHz
60: 5300 MHz
64: 5320 MHz
Due to less frequent use and large quantities channels Wi-Fi points, speed Wi-Fi work increases. But to use 5GHz, it is necessary that not only the Wi-Fi source (router) operate at this frequency, but also the device itself (laptop, tablet, phone, TV). The disadvantage of using 5 GHz is the high cost of equipment compared to devices operating at a frequency of 2.4 GHz and the shorter range compared to the frequency of 2.4 GHz.
Nowadays the market offers a large selection of dual-band Wi-Fi routers, which can broadcast a Wi-Fi network at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. However, not all devices can see and connect to a Wi-Fi network operating at the frequency 5 GHz. Let's look at the case when a Windows 10 device does not see such a network.
Advantages of using a Wi-Fi network with a frequency of 5 GHz
What are the main advantages of a Wi-Fi network operating at a frequency of 5 GHz? This frequency is less congested and there will be less noise/interference on it (this advantage is especially important for residents of high-rise buildings, when a huge number of neighboring routers, telephones and microwave ovens operate at the 2.4 GHz frequency). Also, when working at this frequency, you can achieve higher bandwidth and 23 separate transmission channels are supported (versus three channels for the 2.4 GHz network). Disadvantage: smaller coverage area compared to frequency 2.4.
How to find out if your device supports 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks
Does your computer, laptop or tablet support Wi-Fi networks at 5 GHz or not depends on the model wireless adapter installed in it. You can find your adapter model on the manufacturer’s website and get acquainted with its characteristics (the phrase “Dual Band” is often indicated in the name of such adapters). But there is an easier way.
Check support for various wireless standards Wi-Fi driver adapter in Windows can be done as follows:
- Run command line with administrator rights
- Run the command: netsh wlan show drivers
- See what is stated in the section Radio types supported
This is a list of wireless standards that are supported by this driver.
Adapters supporting standards 802.11a, 802.11h, 802.11j And 802.11n can operate at both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz.
Note. One caveat regarding the 802.11n standard. It defines support for the 5 GHz standard, but not all network adapters can work in two bands (the fact is that there are two standard 802.11n from 2006 and 802.11n Dual Band from 2009).
Standard 802.11ac means that the device can only operate at 5 GHz.
- Let's say the list of supported standards shows support for 802.11b and 802.11g, this means this driver only supports Wi-Fi networks at a frequency of 2.4 GHz.
- If the adapter says it supports 802.11a, 802.11g, and 802.11n, then both frequency bands are supported.
Thus, if the list of supported standards does not contain lines indicating support for the new range, it is worth checking on the manufacturer’s website network card whether it supports new standards. In some cases, to operate correctly at 5 GHz, it is enough to install the latest version of the driver downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.
If it is indicated that the driver supports 802.11ac/802.11n, but Windows does not see a Wi-Fi network operating at the 5 GHz frequency, open the properties of the wireless interface driver and in its settings, check whether only one band is manually selected.
For example, on a Surface Pro 3 with the Marvell AVASTAR Wireless-AC Network Controller adapter, you can see that on the tab Advanced in property Band you can select which mode the adapter should operate in (Auto/2.4 GHz Only/5 GHz Only). Change the mode to Auto.
Windows 10 stops seeing 5GHz Wi-Fi after update
Some users complain that after upgrading Windows 10, the system stops seeing Wi-Fi networks with a frequency of 5 GHz. As a rule, the problem is solved by manually downloading and installing latest version drivers for your wireless adapter from the manufacturer's website. Automatic update drivers are desirable.
If the adapter does not support the 5 GHz network
If your network adapter Does not support 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks, just use a regular 2.4 GHz network. If you really want to work at the new frequency, you can purchase an external USB Wi-Fi adapter with support for the 5 GHz frequency (above we described the requirements for the 802.11 standards that the device must comply with).