How Can I Easily Switch from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz in Windows 10?
The internet plays a vital role in our lives. We require it to perform many tasks. It helps us in working from home, buying groceries online, and developing digital content and assets. Not only that, but it also helps us in getting online consultancy services as well as long-distance education. Thanks to 5G and Wi-Fi 6, we can now experience internet speeds faster than ever before.
While ethernet connections come with low latencies, smooth transmission, and low pings, wireless connections like Spectrum internet are much more efficient. Using the Wi-Fi connection at your home, you can connect all your smart devices. Once you do this, you can control all of them from your smartphone.
However, at times, your internet speeds may not be ideal. To deal with this situation, you may have to switch from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands. Read this blog to learn how you can do this.
Wi-Fi Bands
Different Wi-Fi bands support different internet speeds. The Wi-Fi band most suitable for your computer depends on its hardware. For some PCs, the 2.4 GHz band is the best. For others, a 5 GHz Wi-Fi band is ideal.
You must know that for computers that have a 5 GHz adapter, it is better to switch to the 5 GHz band if the router is broadcasting the internet at the same frequency. For such computers, the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band will not be conducive. Similarly. If your computer and router are running on the 2.4 GHz frequency, it is better to switch your computer to it. Note that if your computer is unable to detect the 5 GHz Wi-Fi frequency, you will not be able to switch to it. However, if your computer can detect the 5 GHz frequency, you can easily switch to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band.
Device Manager
It’s not too difficult to switch between Wi-Fi bands. You can do this conveniently by using the Device Manager. Here, you will be able to see all the connected devices. Note that this feature is component-specific. This means that you may not be able to find it even if a 5 GHz Wi-Fi adapter is connected to your device. To see if your device supports a particular frequency, you will need to open the settings by following the process below.
Simple Steps
The following are the simple steps to switch to the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band in Windows 10.
- Press Win+X to open Device Manager.
- Click on “Network Adapters”.
- Choose the Adapter you’ve connected to your device.
- Right-click on the adapter to open “Properties”.
- Click on the “Advanced” tab.
- Select the “Band” option here.
- Choose from among “5 GHz only” or “Prefer 5 GHz”.
- Press “Ok” to save the settings.
Detailed Steps
The Device Manager in a computer contains the details of all the devices connected or attached to it. Access it so that you can see all the devices on your computer. You can use the Win+X keyboard shortcut to open it. A menu will open up and you can select the Device Manager from here.
Now, you will be able to see all the device categories on the screen. Here, look carefully and click on “Network Adapters”. Once you do, you will be able to see a list of network adapters. Find the one that you want to configure. Right-click it to open the context menu. From this menu, click on “Properties”.
After these steps, open the “Advanced” tab. Here, search for the “Preferred Band” option. Note that this can be labeled “Band” as well. The reason is that the manufacturers choose a term according to their preferences. Click the option so that you can see a number of options visible on the screen. You can maximize the window and select the “5 GHz only” option. You can also choose the “Prefer 5 GHz” option. Simply click on the “Ok” button to save your settings. This is it. Now, your Windows 10 will switch to the 5 GHz band and provide you better internet speeds.
Conclusion
These are the simple steps that you can follow to switch your laptop or desktop PC’s Wi-Fi band from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz. The process is not too complicated and only requires a few simple steps. Take care that you adjust the frequency of the network adapter that is connected to your device. Make sure that your device has support for the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band to experience good internet speeds.