Wifi problems. 2.4 GHz over 5 GHz?

[zackh123]

My phone's WiFi works perfect at home and at other people's houses, but when I'm at work it doesn't work. It shows full blue bars yet I still can't access any webpage etc. In the WiFi advanced settings I have:
- "Avoid Poor Connections" unchecked
- "WiFi frequency band" set to auto rather than "5 GHz only" or 2.4 GHz only"

My company has great wifi and my coworker's phones don't have a problem. My work's WiFi also uses 5 GHz band. But I recently was fiddling around with the "WiFi frequency band" option and changed it from "Auto" to "2.4 GHz only". This completely solved the problem.

I guess my question is this. Is this the right thing to do? What is the difference between using 5GHz and 2.4 GHz? And does anyone know why switching my phone to 2.4 GHz when my work's WiFi is 5 GHz corrected the problem? All seems really odd to me

 

[whoover]

My phone's WiFi works perfect at home and at other people's houses, but when I'm at work it doesn't work. It shows full blue bars yet I still can't access any webpage etc. In the WiFi advanced settings I have:
- "Avoid Poor Connections" unchecked
- "WiFi frequency band" set to auto rather than "5 GHz only" or 2.4 GHz only"

My company has great wifi and my coworker's phones don't have a problem. My work's WiFi also uses 5 GHz band. But I recently was fiddling around with the "WiFi frequency band" option and changed it from "Auto" to "2.4 GHz only". This completely solved the problem.

I guess my question is this. Is this the right thing to do? What is the difference between using 5GHz and 2.4 GHz? And does anyone know why switching my phone to 2.4 GHz when my work's WiFi is 5 GHz corrected the problem? All seems really odd to me

5 GHz theoretically allows faster connections, but most routers/access points don't work well with this phone at 5Ghz unless you're physically very close and even then it doesn't always work. Even with my laptop, I only use the 5GHz connection to my home router when I'm in one room. Anywhere else in the house it disconnects but the 2.4 radio works fine.

I turned off 5 GHz in my phone a year ago and that solved a lot of wifi problems.

 

[zackh123]

5 GHz theoretically allows faster connections, but most routers/access points don't work well with this phone at 5Ghz unless you're physically very close and even then it doesn't always work. Even with my laptop, I only use the 5GHz connection to my home router when I'm in one room. Anywhere else in the house it disconnects but the 2.4 radio works fine.

I turned off 5 GHz in my phone a year ago and that solved a lot of wifi problems.

Do you have Razr HD/MAXX? And you're saying that you checked 2.4 GHz instead of AUTO or 5GHz?

 

[PowrDroid]

I guess my question is this. Is this the right thing to do? What is the difference between using 5GHz and 2.4 GHz? And does anyone know why switching my phone to 2.4 GHz when my work's WiFi is 5 GHz corrected the problem?

Yes, it is the right thing to do because it's working for you.

Because 5 GHz operates at a higher radio frequency than 2.4 GHz it has a harder time penetrating walls and other objects. Your work wifi probably pumps out both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

 

[JJ Jones]

Do you have Razr HD/MAXX? And you're saying that you checked 2.4 GHz instead of AUTO or 5GHz?

After reading this thread I decided to give it a shot since I often have wifi drop outs while smoking in the garage.
Switched from auto to 2.4 and haven't had a drop out since.

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