If your device supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi, prioritising the 5GHz frequency can improve your speed and reduce interference — especially in buildings where many networks overlap.
What’s the difference?
2.4GHz reaches further but is slower and more prone to interference
5GHz is faster and more stable, but doesn’t travel as far
6GHz (WiFi 6E) is newer and only available on supported devices
If your device connects to 5GHz by default, great! If not, the steps below can help it prefer 5GHz when available.
Confirm your device supports 5GHz
On Windows:
Open Command Prompt and type:
netsh wlan show driversLook for Radio types supported
If you see 802.11a, 802.11ac, or 802.11ax, your device supports 5GHz
On Mac:
Most Macs from 2012 onwards support 5GHz automatically
On Android:
Go to Settings > Wi-Fi > Network details
If connected to 5GHz, it will show in the frequency band
On iPhone:
Apple devices automatically select the best available band, so you cannot set to prefer 5GHz
Force your device to prefer 5GHz
On Windows:
Open Device Manager
Expand Network adapters
Right-click your WiFi adapter > Properties
Go to the Advanced tab
Select Preferred Band or Band Preference
Choose Prefer 5GHz Band
Click OK and restart your device
Move closer to the access point
5GHz has less range than 2.4GHz
If your device keeps dropping back to 2.4GHz, try using it in the same room as your AP
Still seeing poor performance?
Use the ASK4 Diagnostics app to check signal strength: How to use the ASK4 Diagnostics app
Try other troubleshooting articles based on your device