While connecting to the internet and trying to switch between bandwidths, has it ever happened that instead of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, you see only 2.4 GHz? Yes! You are at the right place here; we will explain how to enable 5GHz Wi-Fi on a dual-band router.
With 5G technology rampant, being stuck with the retried 2GHz is frustrating. Therefore, to enjoy internet connectivity with a good speed enabling 5GHz is best. Here we explain how you can do that, but before that, let’s discuss the differences between 2.4 GHz and 5GHz.
Which is Better 2.4GHz or GHz?
- The 2.4GHz band covers a wide area, whereas 5 GHz offers a narrow space.
- The 2.4 GHz can pass through solid objects, which helps avoid hindrances, while 5GHz fails to penetrate through solid objects.
- As opposed to 5GHz, the speed you get with the 2.4GHz band is low, but it can still travel more distances.
Now that we know the differences between2.4 GHz and 5GHz, let’s check whether that router you use is a dual-band.
How to Check If Your Router has a 5GHz Wi-Fi?
The simplest way to know is to check the router’s specifications or the manual. Log in to the router and check the Wi-Fi settings. Once you know your router offers 5GHz connectivity, it’s time to connect to the faster connection speed.
How To Enable 5GHz Bandwidth?
If it’s the first time you are connecting to 5GHz, or you know you have a dual-band router but cannot get the 5GHz WiFi option, these fixes can help.
Method 1 – Check your laptop for 5GHz connectivity support
- Press Windows + R and open the Run window.
- Type cmd and press the Enter key
- Type the following command in the Command Prompt window:
netsh WLAN show drivers
This will display Wi-Fi details. Now under the “Radio type supported” option, check the frequencies it supports. If you see 5GHz, as shown in the image below, the laptop support 5GHz.
Method 2 Enable 5GHz Wi-Fi on the laptop
After ensuring that your laptop supports 5GHz Wi-Fi, the next step is enabling 5GHz Wi-Fi. To do so, follow these steps.
- Press Windows + X > select Device Manager and open it.
- Double-click the Network adapters category.
- You will now see the drivers related to your Wi-Fi.
- Select the Wi-Fi adapter you are using.
- Right-click on it > select Properties.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- Under the Property section, select the Preferred band. You will now see a Value option on the right-click the drop-down to choose 5G first from the value tab first. From here, select the 5G first option.
This will enable the 5 GHz connectivity on your laptop. If this doesn’t work, no worries. It seems there is some issue with the device drivers. This means we will need to update it to the latest version. To learn how to do that, let’s move to the next solution to know how to do.
Method 3. Update the Outdated Network Driver
If you know your network card manufacturer, you can visit the official site and download the driver from there. However, if you don’t have time or patience, and most importantly, you don’t want to risk downloading an incorrect driver, try Advanced Driver Updater to update drivers automatically.
How Manually Download and Update the Network Driver?
- Visit the official manufacturer’s website.
- Search for the router model number.
- Ensure the correct version and name of the operating system are selected > find the correct driver > download the setup file.
- Double-click on it to run the installation wizard and install the driver manually.
- Restart the PC to apply changes.
Automatically Update Outdated Drivers
If finding the model number and details about the operating system is not what you like, you can do it automatically with Advanced Driver Updater.
Advanced Driver Updater automatically identifies system and device details to show the latest and compatible drivers. To use it, you don’t need to provide any information; as the software scans the PC, it fetches all the information. This saves you from downloading incorrect driver updates and running system performance and functioning.
You can use the FREE or the paid version of Advanced Driver Updater to update the driver. With the registered version, you can update all outdated drivers at once. Whereas with the trial, you need to update each driver individually.
- Download and install Advanced Driver Updater.
- Run the best driver updating tool to scan the PC for outdated drivers.
- Click Start Scan Now to start the process.
- Review scan results. After that, update the drivers. If you are a trial user, click the Update driver link next to the driver you wish to update. Registered users can update all outdated drivers at once.
- Reboot the PC to bring changes into effect.
If you face any problems using Advanced Driver Update, you can email support@systweak.com.
Method 4. Reinstall Network Driver
If updating the driver doesn’t help, reinstalling the driver might help.
- In the Windows search bar, type Device Manager and select the best search result.
- Double-click the Network adapters section.
- Right-click on your wireless network adapter > select Uninstall device.
- Check the box next to Delete the driver software for this device > click Uninstall.
- This will remove the wireless network adapter from the Network adapters list.
- Click the Action tab > Scan for hardware changes. Windows will now identify that the wireless network adapter driver is missing and will reinstall it.
- You should now be able to see the driver in the list.
- Now, try connecting to the 5GHz band.
Method 5. Change Your Router Channel
Usually, the router’s default settings meet local requirements, and the channel setting is in auto mode. Therefore, when the router channel number is changed, sometimes, you face issues with a 5G Wi-Fi connection. Consequently, we suggest you adjust the router channel number manually. If you don’t know how to do that, please take help from an expert, as incorrect changes will lead to resetting the router to a factory reset.
Conclusion
When your router supports 5GHz Wi-Fi connectivity, but you are stuck with 2.4 GHz, enable 5GHz Wi-Fi using the steps explained above. Switching to 5GHz will increase your internet speed. If your laptop supports 5GHz Wi-Fi, you can enable Wi-Fi 5GHz by following the steps mentioned above. Please share your thoughts about the post in the comments section.
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Thank you so much! This has worked for me. I downloaded the Advanced Driver Updater as recommended. You have saved me time & $$$ and here I thought my laptop was gone for good ???