2.4GHz and 5GHz are the two mainstream RF frequency bands in wireless communications. They have significant differences in transmission characteristics, applicable scenarios and technical performance.

Ⅰ. Core Parameter Comparison

Ⅱ.Differences in technical characteristics

1. Transmission distance

2.4GHz:

Advantages: Longer wavelength, strong diffraction ability, and coverage is about 30% farther than 5GHz.
Disadvantages: Fast attenuation in high-frequency bands, actual coverage is limited by the environment (such as walls, metal obstacles).
5GHz:

Advantages: Larger bandwidth, suitable for high-density data transmission.
Disadvantages: Smaller coverage, requiring more APs (access points) or relay devices.

2. Anti-interference ability

2.4GHz:

Many interference sources: Bluetooth devices, microwave ovens (2.45GHz), Zigbee, other Wi-Fi networks.
Channel congestion: Limited non-overlapping channels (only 3), which can easily lead to congestion.
5GHz:

Few interference sources: Mainly used for Wi-Fi 5/6/6E and radar (DFS dynamic frequency selection required).
Rich channels: Support more non-overlapping channels to reduce co-channel interference.

3. Data rate and capacity

2.4GHz:

The upper limit of the rate is relatively low, suitable for low bandwidth requirements (such as sensor data, voice).

Supports 802.11n/ac (MIMO technology improves the rate).

5GHz:

Supports higher-order modulation (such as 1024-QAM) and wider bandwidth (160MHz), with a rate of up to 10 Gbps (Wi-Fi 6E).

Suitable for high-throughput scenarios (such as 8K video streaming, VR real-time interaction).

Ⅲ. Typical application scenarios

1. 2.4GHz priority scenario
Internet of Things (IoT): smart home devices (such as temperature and humidity sensors, smart light bulbs).
Wide area coverage: large-scale low-density deployment in warehouses, factories, etc.
Compatible with old devices: support traditional Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) or Bluetooth devices.
2. 5GHz priority scenario
High-performance network: enterprise-level Wi-Fi 6/6E, data centers, e-sports venues.
HD video and AR/VR: 4K/8K streaming, real-time cloud gaming.
Dense environment: high-user density areas such as offices and gymnasiums.

IV. Selection recommendations

1. Select frequency band according to needs

2. Notes

Regulatory restrictions: Some 5GHz frequency bands require DFS certification (such as European ETSI standards).
Terminal compatibility: Older devices may not support 5GHz or Wi-Fi 6.
Cost: 5GHz modules are generally more expensive and require a higher-performance RF front end.

V. Technology Trends

Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be):
Introduces the 6GHz band, supports 30Gbps+ speed, but 2.4GHz/5GHz are still supplementary.
MIMO and beamforming:
5GHz combines multi-antenna technology (such as 4x4 MIMO) to improve signal quality.
Dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS):
5G and Wi-Fi 6 coexist to optimize frequency band utilization.

Ⅵ.Summary

2.4GHz: Suitable for wide coverage, low power consumption, and low cost scenarios, but weak anti-interference ability.
5GHz: Suitable for high-speed, low-latency scenarios, but limited coverage and high cost.
Best Practices: Most scenarios recommend dual-band concurrency (such as Wi-Fi 6 routers), and automatically select the optimal frequency band according to device requirements.
In the future, with the popularization of the 6GHz band, 2.4GHz and 5GHz will play more supplementary roles, but they will still be the basic frequency bands for the Internet of Things and high-performance networks.