Have you asked about the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi speed?
Have you asked about the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi speed?
Hello! Your question about Wi-Fi speed is clear. With an old laptop that only supports 2.4GHz, upgrading to a router like the Archer AX55 from TP-Link should help improve performance. The ISP’s standard speed is 400Mbps, and while your PC with a 5GHz card achieves higher speeds, the router’s capabilities at 2.4GHz will likely boost your connection. The specs mention up to 574Mbps on 2.4GHz, so it should work well for you.
AX works well with older models and supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, so upgrading isn't necessary. The 2.4GHz band tends to be busy, especially in crowded areas; adjusting the center channel might help. You could also look for a used AC/AX USB adapter under $10.
Considering reality, what speed is required for a basic laptop to function? For simple tasks like browsing the web or watching videos, even a modest connection would go unnoticed.
WiFi works both ways, but speed limits come from the router and your laptop's wireless card. If it only supports 2.4GHz, it'll be limited to WiFi 4 or older models. You probably won't notice much improvement. I've seen routers labeled for over 300 Mbps on 2.4GHz, but real speeds rarely reach that.
They likely promoted a 3x3 MIMO setup at 40Mhz channel width, which seems highly impractical. In crowded areas you'd want to limit to 20Mhz to reduce interference, and laptops with more than a 2x2 configuration were uncommon. Before WiFi became widespread, I achieved speeds around 150Mbit from 2.4Ghz using a 2x2 setup, but once neighbors adopted WiFi it stopped working. As @whispous mentioned, older machines probably wouldn't gain much advantage since the task would be CPU-intensive. USB drives could work if they support 2x2 MIMO, though most mini drives are only 1x1 and offer weak signals. Compatibility might also vary based on the operating system installed.