2.4GHz vs 5.8GHz vs 5GHz frequencies - what's the difference?

Let's get one thing out of the way, people use "5.8GHz" and "5GHz" interchangeably. Here at RouteThis we typically say "5.8GHz". 

2.4GHz is an older WiFi frequency (an actually radio frequency reserved for WiFi communication globally!) while 5.8GHz is a newer standard. There are pros and cons to each.

2.4GHz networks are better at going through objects such as walls, stairs, cupboards, closets, desks, etc. They are best used when a device is farther from the router (i.e. not in the same room or one room over). 2.4GHz is slower overall, however, so for testing internet speeds a customer would not tend to use 2.4GHz because their speed result will be limited by the constraints of this frequency. As well, 2.4GHz networks are more common and have fewer channels than 5.8GHz, this creates more congestion on 2.4GHz. Finally, some WiFi devices only support 2.4GHz.

5.8GHz networks are shorter-range as they cannot as easily pass through objects such as walls. 5.8GHz is far faster than 2.4GHz, however, so if a streaming or gaming device is close to the router, it should be connected to the 5.8GHz network. 5.8GHz networks also have less congestion than 2.4GHz.

When a customer is running a speedtest to see if their network is fast enough, they should stand close to their router and test on a dedicated 5.8GHz network (not a merged network). Often to connect to 5.8GHz, a customer will need to change the 5.8GHz network name (SSID) from their router to something different than the 2.4GHz network, this allows them to control which devices connect to 5.8GHz.