According to statistics, there are more than five billion internet users worldwide. For home users, 5 GHz provides the fastest speeds with the least interference. To have this luxury, your computer must support 5 GHz. However, most people cannot tell if their computer can connect to 5 GHz.
5 GHz is a short-range networking system that operates in the five GHz radio band. This system has been around since 1999, but gained popularity after the introduction of home routers in 2009. Home networks primarily use 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. The 2.4 GHz band is crowded and offers lower speeds.
So, 5 GHz is the way to go for a home network. After reading this article, you can determine if your computer can support 5GHz.
How to tell if my computer can connect to 5GHz?
Your computer’s compatibility with 5GHz depends on your radio line type. A radio line connects two devices at a fixed position through electromagnetic waves using radio frequency.
The main one used for local area networks is 802.11. It includes a set of technical standards from the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). These standards specify the design of wireless devices and Internet communications. All devices are regulated under these protocols.
The 802.11 subfamilies determine the Internet capability of your network. The 802.11 protocol controls 5GHz bandwidth Internet access. The operating system most people use is Windows 7 or higher.
Here, we will explain how to tell if a computer can connect to 5 GHz on these operating systems. It includes the following steps.
Step #1: Open the Run dialog box
On your keyboard, press the Windows + R keys. This will prompt you to run a dialog box.
Step #2: Type “cmd” to open a command prompt
In the dialog box, type “cmd” and press Enter. This will open a command prompt window.
Step #3: Enter “netsh wlan show driver
Type netsh wlan show drivers on the command prompt window and press Enter key to execute the command. The system will start analyzing your device’s networking capabilities. The computer then generates a report.
Make sure to write it correctly so that the computer can recognize it and act accordingly. A wrong order will just be a waste of time.
Step 4: Enter “Find Radio Supported Line
In the generated computer report, locate the line supported by the radio. This line determines your system’s network compatibility.
There are three scenarios that can happen while reading these lines.
- If the line supported by the radio shows 802.11g and 802.11n network modes, your PC only supports 2.4 GHz capability. This is the necessary bandwidth; All wireless systems have this in the default settings.
- If the radio supported line shows 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n network modes along with other modes, your computer has 2.4 GHz. There is no room for modern technology.
- If the line supported by the radio shows 802.11a, 802.11g, and 802.11n, your computer has 2.4 and 5 GHz capabilities. In other words, your computer can connect with 5 Hz. You can enjoy fast internet without any hiccups and minimal downtime.
The bottom line
5 GHz is the ideal networking system for home users. It provides fast internet speed without any interference in short range. If you are performing online activities that require high bandwidth, such as gaming and design software, we recommend using 5 GHz. For this, you first determine whether your device can connect to 5 GHz or not.
To find it, press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type “cmd” in it to access the command prompt. Enter netsh wlan show drivers at the command prompt to view the network capacity report. In the report, look at the supported lines of the radio. If the line shows 802.11a, your network can connect to 5GHz.