Playing games on a Wi-Fi with 2.4 GHz speed
Playing games on a Wi-Fi with 2.4 GHz speed
Hello, Linus mentioned in a video that using the 5GHZ band on Wi-Fi improves performance due to lower latency. I recall he also noted possible delays of up to 20ms from the PCI card to the router. I recently purchased a PCI card because I needed to switch my PC from LAN to Wi-Fi for a room change. The router has active Band Steering, which I don’t want to alter. After checking the Windows settings, it suggests connecting to 5GHz, but it doesn’t always follow that recommendation. My PC consistently shows around 88Mbps speeds with pings of 22-24ms (using a command). There aren’t many Wi-Fi networks nearby, so is this really relevant? Or am I just confused? Thanks for your help – this is my first post here.
If there are no other WiFi networks (or anything else) in range broadcasting on the same channel you are using at the same time, then sure it will be fine. But the point is that 2.4Ghz is used for so much and has such a long range that most people do not have that luxury. If it works fine for you, don't worry about it. As for band steering, not surprised it doesn't always work, its pretty much a hack in most implementations.
That’s acceptable. WiFi isn’t ideal for fast online FPS titles or activities requiring quick reactions, but it works if there’s little interference and the games don’t demand rapid responses. The 5GHz frequency offers speeds higher than the 2.4GHz band, though only in perfect settings.
The main issue is interference. The ISM at 2.4 GHz only has three non-overlapping channels. When neighbors use Wi-Fi, it becomes crowded fast. UNII bands at 5 GHz provide much more room for 20/40 MHz channels, allowing a tighter setup without disruption. Other devices besides Wi-Fi also add noise in the 2.4GHz range. 5 GHz tends to deliver faster speeds; if you're not busy with other Wi-Fi signals, you likely won't feel a difference in latency, though data rates will be higher at standard signal strength.