For some time I’ve been on another quest; ultimate WiFi performance.

2.4ghz is associated with the last decade; WiFi-G, 54mb limited and heavy interference from other 2.4 sources like neighboring WiFi router (or endpoints for that matter), Bluetooth, microwave ovens, and the other last decade devices, cordless phones operating at 2.4ghz.

So why bother? My coworker turned her 2.4 channel off (only to bug me on how to turn it back on later), 2.4ghz caps out around 385mb in real life and 600mb on paper. 5ghz on the other hand caps out around 4300mb in real life (which isn’t realized for most folks as you need 8x8 capable client, not just 8x8 router, and be right next to the router).

2.4ghz does have a less obvious pro; it has a 7db advantage in signal strength over an equivalent 5ghz channel. When it comes to solid objects, walls, terrain, or distance, 2.4ghz is still king and (probably) always will be even though it’s going to continue to depreciate.

Truth told your 5ghz band carries more throughout then your ISP can supply, usually anyways (most ISPs cap at 1GB plans, and, besides, your consumer modem probably doesn’t have more than a 1000BASE-T port on it anyways should your ISP theoretically support more). But, it can’t always provide coverage to the other end of a mid to large size home, or your front or backyard for that matter. And, in those cases where it can, a 2.4ghz, can outgun the 5ghz in both reliability and throughput ironically. Sure you can do mesh, but, mesh has it’s own set of issues which I won’t tackle on this post, to include added latency from network hops and consumer grade hardware/setups, unless, you’re doing copper (ethernet) backbone to your access points, which most folks aren’t...

Your smartphone has a low gain antenna on it: most times if you check which WiFi it’s automatically selected if you have dual band router, guess which it’ll pick? Yup. Media stick plugged into your tv (or built in WiFi in a smart TV)? Yup. Smart watch? Yup. Oh wait, the smart watch has 5ghz support? Nope. Oops, I guess that old 2.4ghz still matters.

So where am I going with this?

2.4ghz has become a depreciated technology. If you look at any modern router benchmarks you’ll see manufacturers are optimizing the 5ghz channel and have actually given up a lot of ground on the 2.4ghz channel since 2013. Modern routers provide half the throughput on 2.4 vs what they did. This trend will continue indefinitely in my opinion which is unfortunate.

What do I recommend? Couple things.

First of all, be wary of those wide channel (aka 40mhz) options for your 2.4; they can interfere with your Bluetooth which your smart watch is probably using. Bose Soundlink? Bluetooth too (2.4ghz). AirPods? Yup. Better to leave this (wide channel support) off, even though that flies against the story I’m telling here of improving your 2.4ghz channel; Bluetooth already has a 30ft range, and these gadgets already struggle. It’s a weak link, leave it alone in most cases. Don’t have any of said widgets? Sure, wide channel support will help, but I still don’t recommended it as I’d be willing to bet you have non-WiFi 2.4 you don’t know about, somewhere, that won’t thank you for having it on.

Secondly, use non-overlapping channels, that is, 1, 6 or 11. I’ve found using fractal channels, that is 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10; ie non-1,6,11, results in sub par performance in almost every case you can think of, including crowded apartment complexes in sprawling urban areas, like I used to live. Trust me I’ve tried it, ends up hurting your bottom line throughput and signal strength / interference ratio.

Third, be wary where you place your router. This is a given, but it’s worth mentioning to centralize it obviously. Also, keep in mind if it’s near other 2.4ghz sources (microwave, or even another 2.4ghz client, like a wireless printer ironically), or solid objects (refrigerator) is a less than ideal spot.

Forth, likewise it is however, wise to use a WiFi scanner to check what is around you (preferably use the channel not used, or least used by others near you) and do some trial and error of channels 1, 6 and 11 in your living areas to find the best option as channel 1 may be great at the front of your home, but not the back where your neighbor also is using it, etc. It’s best to do a “site survey”, that is check nearby WiFi in multiple spots in your house with a WiFi scanner, not just one spot and write down (or type) what channels and where are in use by neighbors; how many folks using each and their signal strengths so you can logically pick the best choice based off your use patterns. Example, if you do most of your WiFi load in the kitchen, you should weight your results on it. Likewise, if your back room is a problem child, ditto.

If you want to buy something, the ASUS RT-AC68U is the best 2.4 option on the market (to my knowledge, and I’ve tried a couple and can vouch for it), and it has a very capable 5ghz channel, too. Most clients can’t negotiate more than 1300mb on 5ghz anyways as their internal antenna isn’t up to spec, latest MacBooks included. That said, newer high end 5ghz routers do offer better bandwidth for multiple clients and less latency, but, at the expense of sub-par 2.4 channel support as I already mentioned. You can buy a RT-AC68U and run it with 2.4 only as a WiFi access point, btw, to augment that high end 8x8 1024-QAM 5ghz channel on say that ASUS RT-AC5300 that runs your actual routing and 5ghz band.

Lastly, stock configurations of the antenna and default directional alignment of the antenna is optimal in most cases. High gain antennas only attenuate your signal, that is make it more focused which means other areas are less focused; this is give and take, not bigger is better. Good for addressing corner cases, not good for general practice. Likewise, some folks swear by putting all their antennas up, or sideways; this is bad as we live in a 3-dimensional world. I can assure you, your iPhone has depth to it, no matter how thin it gets, and what happens if you rotate your phone? Uh huh. Leave one antenna perpendicular for two antennas, or at whatever recommended angle your manufacturer says (for example, my RT-AC68U, has 3 antennas, thus ASUS recommends the center being straight up with the two side antennas at 45 angles).