How to Enable 5G Wi-Fi on Your Router for Faster Internet

Your wireless router sends the internet to your phone, laptop, tablet and other devices over radio frequencies. Most routers use two bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The “5G” you see in many Wi-Fi names means the 5 GHz band. It has nothing to do with 5G mobile networks. In this post, I explain the difference between the two bands, which one to use, and how to turn on 5 GHz Wi-Fi on your router for faster internet.

In this article

1. 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz at a glance
2. Which frequency should you choose?
   1. Use 5 GHz for devices close to the router
   2. Use 2.4 GHz for devices far from the router
3. How to enable 5 GHz Wi-Fi on your router
4. Theoretical speed vs real-world speed
5. What does 802.11b, 802.11n or 802.11ac mean?
6. Router placement: the distance problem
7. Related guides

2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz at a glance

The difference between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz comes down to speed and range:

Which frequency should you choose?

A 2.4 GHz connection reaches farther at lower speeds, while 5 GHz gives you faster speeds over a shorter range. Your choice depends on where and how you use your Wi-Fi most.

Many electronic devices and appliances also use the 2.4 GHz frequency, for example microwaves, baby monitors, security cameras and garage door openers. If you have many of them at home, or if you live in an apartment building with lots of neighbors’ networks, the 2.4 GHz band is probably crowded. That can hurt both speed and signal quality.

Use 5 GHz for devices close to the router

If most of your devices are near the router, 5 GHz is the best choice for higher speeds. It is also the better band for activities that need a lot of bandwidth, like online gaming or video calls. Move as close to the router as you can. Even better, connect directly to the router with an Ethernet cable: a wired connection is always more stable and faster than wireless. And if you live in an apartment surrounded by other networks, 5 GHz helps you avoid that congestion.

Use 2.4 GHz for devices far from the router

For a device that moves around a lot during the day, like your smartphone, especially in a large home, 2.4 GHz is your best bet. Its longer waves travel farther and pass through walls more easily than 5 GHz, so it works better for devices you carry from room to room or that are far from the router.

How to enable 5 GHz Wi-Fi on your router

Every router brand has its own menus, but the steps are very similar:

1. Check that your router is dual-band. Look for “dual-band”, “AC”, “AX” or “Wi-Fi 5/6/7” on the box or on the label. Only dual-band (or tri-band) routers can send 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
2. Connect to the router with Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable.
3. Open the router settings. Type the router’s address in your browser. It is printed on the label, often 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. Some routers use a phone app instead.
4. Log in with the admin username and password (also on the label, unless you changed them).
5. Open the Wireless (or Wi-Fi / WLAN) settings and find the 5 GHz section.
6. Turn on the 5 GHz band. Give it a network name (SSID), for example your current name with “5G” at the end, and set a strong password with WPA2 or WPA3 security.
7. Click Save or Apply. The router may restart.
8. On your phone or laptop, connect to the new 5G network.

With a dual-band router, both frequencies can work at the same time. You then usually see two networks in your list with the same name, one ending in “5G” and one in “2.4G”, and you can choose for each device which one to use. Some routers have a Smart Connect or band steering option that shows both bands under one name. Turn it off if you want to pick the band yourself.

Most newer routers also have a way to find the best Wi-Fi channel for your area, and you can change the channel in the wireless settings when needed. This helps you get the most out of both bands.

Tip: Your device must support 5 GHz too. On a Windows PC, open Command Prompt and run netsh wlan show drivers. If the line Radio types supported includes 802.11a or 802.11ac, your Wi-Fi adapter supports 5 GHz.

Theoretical speed vs real-world speed

There can be a big difference between the speed printed on a Wi-Fi device and what it really does every day.

Theoretical speed is the maximum speed listed on the box. It can be misleading, because you will rarely reach it, even in ideal conditions:

• It is a combined total for uploading and downloading.
• It is calculated with a single device connected to the network.
• It does not include wireless overhead, interference or distance.

Real-world speed depends on things like:

• Sharing bandwidth with other devices on your Wi-Fi network
• Physical obstacles such as walls and floors
• Interference from electronics
• Interference from nearby Wi-Fi networks or wireless devices
• Signal loss because of the distance between your device and the router

Every home is different. Even in the same home, your speed can change with the time of day and the room you are in. As a rule of thumb, real-world Wi-Fi speeds are often about half of the theoretical number, or lower.

What does 802.11b, 802.11n or 802.11ac mean?

These numbers and letters are wireless standards created by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Each new standard brings improvements in speed and efficiency. Newer standards also have simpler names, like Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6:

802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) was the first standard that could use both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The maximum numbers above are for the standard itself. Home routers and devices support less, so check the speed of your own router and device.

Update (October 2026): When I first published this post, Wi-Fi 5 was the current standard and Wi-Fi 6 was the next generation. Today, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 routers are common. Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 can also use a third band, 6 GHz, which is very fast at short range but only works with devices that support it.

Router placement: the distance problem

The distance between the router and your device has a big impact on your Wi-Fi speed and performance.

Problem: The location of your router and your devices can make it hard to get a good wireless connection. Walls, floors and interference from other Wi-Fi networks also affect performance.

Fix:

• Place your router (or modem-router) as close to the center of your home as possible. Higher places, like a bookcase, a shelf or upstairs, give you even better coverage.
• Make sure it has good air circulation and is away from heat sources.
• Consider a Wi-Fi extender, or move your router and devices closer together.

Related guides

• How to Setup a WiFi Range Extender (3 Easy Methods)
• How to Reset Wi-Fi and Network Adapters on Windows