The chances are pretty good that you have a router in your home. That router manages all your wireless devices so that everybody can get online whenever they want. But here’s a question: do you have a dual-band router, or are you still rocking a single-band model?
This post asserts that every home should be equipped with a dual-band router. If you don’t know what such a device brings to the table, keep reading. Dual-band routers have a lot to offer.
Single vs. Dual-Band
The word ‘band’, at least in terms of what we are talking about here, relates to the frequency through which routers and wireless devices communicate. A single-band router offers just one frequency: 2.4 GHz. A dual-band router offers a secondary frequency: 5 GHz.
Not 5G Mobile
Blazing Hog, a Houston-based 4G rural internet service provider, explains that 5G cellular service should not be confused with a 5G wi-fi router. They are two different things.
A 5G router is so named because it can broadcast and receive signals at 5 GHz. As far as 5G cellular service is concerned, it takes its name from the fact that it is the fifth generation in mobile communications. The 5G designation says nothing about frequency or bands.
The same is true with Blazing Hog’s 4G rural internet access. It relies on 4G cell signals to send and receive data over the internet.
Greater Functionality
Moving on to why every household should be equipped with a dual-band router, the first advantage is greater functionality. The two frequencies offer different speeds and quality. The lower band is slower and doesn’t offer performance as good as the higher band. But this should not be a problem for consumers who know how to assign their devices.
Some of our devices need consistent performance at all times. Home security systems and video streaming platforms immediately come to mind. Those are the types of devices to connect to the 5 GHz band. The 2.4 GHz band is ideal for less demanding devices like laptops, tablets, and a variety of smart devices for the home.
Guest Network Availability
Though there are exceptions to the rule, most dual-band routers these days also offer guest network capabilities. What is a guest network? It is a temporary network you set up for visitors so that they do not have access to your primary network.
There are two advantages here:
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Enhanced Security
Not giving visitors access to your main network also means not giving them access to your computers, home security system, etc. You are more secure all the way around.
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Better Speeds
By shifting high demand devices to the 5 GHz band while leaving low demand devices on the 2.4 GHz band, you ultimately improve speed for all your devices. Dividing up the traffic means getting the same amount of data through two channels instead of one. Speed is one of the results.
A dual band router with guest network capabilities allows you to spread the load across multiple channels. That’s really it in a nutshell. But why stop there?
If you were so inclined, you could also use a dual-band router to set up your own local network isolated from the world outside. Choose one band for internal use and another for external use.
There is still more about the dual-band router this post doesn’t have the space to address. Needless to say, dual-band routers are superior to their single-band counterparts in almost every way. If you do not yet have one in your home, you really should change that.