Should smart TV Wi-Fi be 2.4 or 5?
A user of a smart TV will have to choose between a 2.4GHz or 5GHz home Wi-Fi network connection at first connection. The choice of frequency band might influence the wireless connection of your smart TV. Let me clarify the main differences for smart TVs low down between 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi.
The 2.4GHz Frequency Band
The 2.4GHz band has been present longer and remains today to be the one most commonly supported by Wi-Fi networks. Most smart TVs, streaming devices, smartphones, and new routers use both 2.4GHz bands with very few foregoing this type of connection.
Some of the advantages of 2.4GHz Wi-Fi include
- Larger coverage area – 2.4GHz frequencies go a distance compared to 5GHz networks and cover an entire average-sized house. This wider range means you could place your smart TV further away from your wireless router if you so wished.
- Reduced interference – As mentioned earlier, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi experiences less interference than higher frequencies signals, and hence they better penetrate walls, floors, and ceilings. If your router is on one floor and your TV is on another, then 2.4GHz may be more helpful.
- Compatibility with old smart home devices - If your smart home has devices that are compatible with 2.4 GHz only, connecting your smart TV to a 2.4 GHz band will help to ensure compatibility.
- However, there are some downsides to the crowded 2.4GHz spectrum as well
- Interference – Other devices in a household like baby monitors, Bluetooth gadgets, microwaves, and cordless phones all operate under this frequency and they might cause interference leading to poor reception and connectivity issues for the smart TV.
- Interference threats - Again, because of the risks of interference, Wi-Fi routers tend to provide a lower maximal speed on the 2.4GHz band than on the 5GHz. In 4K or 8K streaming, 2.4GHz may experience lower data rates for the identical distance.
The 5GHz Frequency Band
Newer dual-band Wi-Fi routers work by employing two bands where one is 2.4GHz for extended coverage and backward compatibility of old devices and the other is 5GHz for faster data rates. Advantages of 5GHz Wi-Fi include:Advantages of 5GHz Wi-Fi include:
- Less interference - Due to 5GHz having broader channel bandwidths, this makes it possible for networks with this capability to deliver much faster data rates, important for very high bandwidth streaming content.
- Lessen interference – There are fewer household and other gadgets that operate in the stronger 5GHz band, hence cleaner signals, and fewer lags from interference.
- More channels – Fewer devices operating in the 5GHz band means that the available frequency space is not as crowded as it is in the 2.4GHz band which causes bottlenecks during high usage.
- The limitations of 5GHz networks primarily revolve around shorter range and compatibility issues with some devices: The limitations of 5GHz networks primarily revolve around shorter range and compatibility issues with some devices:
- Lower range – Signals in the higher frequency radio waves commonly used in the 5GHz band have a limited capability to pass through obstacles such as walls as compared to 2.4GHz. 5GHz may not cover all areas in large homes and that is why 2.4GHz is used to provide complete coverage.
- Issues of compatibility – While most of the newly released smart TVs come with 5GHz Wi-Fi support, the router you possess should also support dual bands, and all the other connected devices like laptops, mobiles, and game consoles may only support 2.4GHz.
Smart TV Wi-Fi Features: Some Key Things to Consider
If you are wondering whether you should use 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz as the primary smart TV connection, then aspects such as the size of your house, the congestion in the network, your router, and your streaming preferences should inform your decision.
For those living in small apartments or houses where the TV is in close range with the wireless router, the use of 5GHz connectivity for 4K and 8K streaming provides the best use of faster 802.11ac speed. Just ensure that your router is the one that transmits both bands of frequencies.
For larger homes with plaster walls that interfere with the signals, you might have to place the smart TV on a stable 2.4GHz connection to achieve the most reliable coverage from room to room – but do take note that other devices and numerous activities can hinder the 2.4GHz frequency.
Smart TVs should be connected to Less crowded or ideally newer 5GHz bands, and smart home devices and web browsing gadgets should be placed in heavily crowded 2.4GHz channels. AP control, QoS on/off, adding range extenders and wiring devices if possible, using different bands for traffic separation.
All in all, the best wireless connection that is faster and more reliable should be established between the router and the TV. Connect with both bands if possible through a dual-band router for better experiences. 2.4 should be used mostly for connectivity and range, while 5GHz should be mainly utilized for video streaming. It is therefore important to ensure that Wi-Fi requirements are properly divided as follows to ensure optimal performance of all smart devices in the home.
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