How to find out if a device supports 5GHz. Should I be afraid that someone else will connect to my home Wi-Fi?

In this article we will consider a rather niche topic, but it will still be of interest to some users. So, as we all know, laptop owners can easily give away wireless network using the module Wi-Fi adapter a, which was built into the device by the manufacturer. Simply put, you can create a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot on a laptop.

So what is nicheness? Today we will look at how to create a mobile hotspot for distributing Wi-Fi at a frequency of 5 GHz in an operating room Windows system 10. This frequency is the same as the wireless standard local network 802.11ac is relatively new, so many routers and Wi-Fi adapters are not capable of working with it.

To create such a mobile hotspot, your laptop or PC must have a Wi-Fi adapter that can operate at a frequency of 5 GHz. You must also have Windows 10 installed on your computer - and no other operating system. The thing is that neither Windows 7 nor Windows 8 can work with 802.11ac, since at the time of their release this standard simply did not exist. So, do you have everything you need? Then let's see what you need to do...

How to create a hotspot for distributing Wi-Fi at 5 GHz frequency?

So, creating a hotspot is incredibly easy. If you've never done this before and just want to give it a try, know that you'll literally have to select a few settings in your System Options. Basically, click on Start and open Settings, then go to the section called “Network and Internet”.

Next, select the “Mobile Hotspot” tab. A small menu with hotspot parameters will appear in front of you. Select your wireless network from the drop-down menu, and then click the “Change” button. Another window will appear, a new one, presumably blue, in which you need to enter the network name, network password, as well as the network range - select 5 GHz and click the “Save” button.

Next, you will return to the previous window, where you just have to activate the mobile hotspot by moving the slider to the “On” position. As soon as you complete all these steps, your computer or laptop will begin distributing a wireless Wi-Fi network to devices capable of connecting to network networks in the 5 GHz band.

That's all you need to do. As mentioned earlier, there are just a few options in System Settings. We remind you that you will not be able to use this feature on other operating systems, as well as on Wi-Fi adapters that are not capable of working with the 802.11ac standard. Among other things, it is worth noting that some users may encounter an error during the installation of the distribution.

If you encounter an error, we recommend that you try reinstalling the driver for the Wi-Fi adapter using Device Manager. After reinstalling the driver, go to the settings for creating a mobile hotspot again and try again Wi-Fi distribution. In most cases, reinstalling the driver helps.

Found a typo? Select the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Technologies wireless communication are not standing still and more and more routers are appearing on the market capable of distributing WiFi at frequencies 2.4 GHz And 5 GHz. Frequency 5 GHz has a number of advantages, among which, first of all, it is necessary to note less network congestion, support 23 channels versus three in 2.4 GHz and higher throughput. Lack of frequency workers 5 GHz- smaller coverage area than networks 2.4 GHz.

Alas, not all computers and mobile devices can see such a network. Let's assume that you have a router that supports 5 GHz, but your Windows 10 laptop does not detect what it is distributing WiFi. Is there anything that can be done? Unfortunately, your device's wireless adapter does not support networks at the frequency 5 GHz is the main condition for working with them. However, there is a possibility that the adapter still supports the frequency 5 GHz, but its settings are set to incorrect parameters.

How to find out if an adapter supports 5 GHz

The first option is to go to the adapter manufacturer’s website and familiarize yourself with it technical characteristics. But there is a simpler option. Open as administrator command line and run the following command:

netsh wlan show drivers

Among the list of parameters, we find and see what standards the adapter supports.

802.11b And 802.11g 2.4 GHz.
802.11ac- support for networks with range only 5 GHz.
802.11a, 802.11n, 802.11j And 802.11n- can operate at frequencies like 2.4 GHz, and on 5 GHz.

Note: adapters with standard should be distinguished 802.11n Dual Band 2009 years and adapters 802.11n 2006 years, operating only in one range.

If support is declared, but WiFi-the network is not visible, you need to check the selected range in the device manager in the properties of the wireless adapter driver. For example, in the case of an adapter Marvell AVASTAR Wireless-AC Network Controller on the tab "Additionally" you need to select a property Band and set it to a value "Automatically" or "5 GHz only".

It is also worth considering the case when a network worker 5 GHz the computer stops seeing it after upgrading to Windows 10. The main reason for this is the replacement of the adapter driver with a standard driver from Microsoft.

This problem is usually solved by downloading and installing latest version "native" wireless adapter drivers from the manufacturer's official website. Automatic update Windows drivers in this case, it is better to disable it so that during the next update the driver will not be replaced again. If the adapter does not support more high frequency, but work online 5 GHz I still want it, I can buy an external one USB WiFi-adapter with appropriate characteristics.

Some routers and laptops support 5GHz Wi-Fi, and using it usually means a faster and better Internet connection. Here's how to find out if your laptop supports it and how to enable 5GHz.

Overall, Wi-Fi is easy to use and reliable. You choose a router name, enter a password and forget about it. But when you want to use 5GHz, things can get terribly complicated. Here we will explain how to operate if your laptop supports it and how to enable 5GHz.

Find out if your router supports 5GHz

Unless you already know for sure that your router is a dual-band model and certainly has a 5GHz radio, it's worth checking that out first. There's no point in using 5GHz Wi-Fi on your laptop if your router doesn't support it.

The easiest way to do this is to check the manual or log into your router and check the settings available in the Wi-Fi section. In fact, some routers have the same SSID ( network name) for 2.4 and 5 GHz, so it's worth changing one so that you can easily identify each network from your laptop, phone or tablet.

See also: Best 802.11ac Routers

What Wi-Fi standards work on 5 GHz?

802.11a, 802.11n, and 802.11ac operate at 5 GHz, but this is optional with 802.11n. This means that since most modern routers are 802.11n models, you'll likely need to find out if you have a 5GHz radio in addition to the more frequent 2.4GHz one.

Not all routers can use both frequencies at the same time, so if you don't have the ability, you won't be able to use 5GHz at all. The reason is that even if one of your Wi-Fi devices doesn't support 5GHz (many don't), it won't be able to communicate with your router when you set it to 5GHz.

Nowadays the market offers a large selection of dual-band Wi-Fi routers, which can broadcast a Wi-Fi network at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. However, not all devices can see and connect to a Wi-Fi network operating at the frequency 5 GHz. Let's look at the case when a Windows 10 device does not see such a network.

Advantages of using a Wi-Fi network with a frequency of 5 GHz

What are the main advantages of a Wi-Fi network operating at a frequency of 5 GHz? This frequency is less congested and there will be less noise/interference on it (this advantage is especially important for residents of high-rise buildings, when a huge number of neighboring routers, telephones and microwave ovens operate at the 2.4 GHz frequency). Also, when working at this frequency, you can achieve higher bandwidth and 23 separate transmission channels are supported (versus three channels for the 2.4 GHz network). Disadvantage: smaller coverage area compared to frequency 2.4.

How to find out if your device supports 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks

Does your computer, laptop or tablet support Wi-Fi networks at 5 GHz frequency or not depends on the model of the wireless adapter installed in it. You can find your adapter model on the manufacturer’s website and get acquainted with its characteristics (the phrase “Dual Band” is often indicated in the name of such adapters). But there is an easier way.

Check support for various wireless standards Wi-Fi driver adapter in Windows can be done as follows:

1. Run Command Prompt with Administrator rights
2. Run the command: netsh wlan show drivers
3. See what is stated in the section Radio types supported

This is a list of wireless standards that are supported by this driver.

Adapters supporting standards 802.11a, 802.11h, 802.11j And 802.11n can operate at both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz.

Note. One caveat regarding the 802.11n standard. It defines support for the 5 GHz standard, but not all network adapters can work in two bands (the fact is that there are two standard 802.11n from 2006 and 802.11n Dual Band from 2009).

Standard 802.11ac means that the device can only operate at 5 GHz.

• Let's say the list of supported standards shows support for 802.11b and 802.11g, this means this driver only supports Wi-Fi networks at a frequency of 2.4 GHz.
• If the adapter says it supports 802.11a, 802.11g, and 802.11n, then both frequency bands are supported.

Thus, if the list of supported standards does not contain lines indicating support for the new range, it is worth checking on the manufacturer’s website network card whether it supports new standards. In some cases, to operate correctly at 5 GHz, it is enough to install the latest version of the driver downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.

If it is indicated that the driver supports 802.11ac/802.11n, but Windows does not see a Wi-Fi network operating at the 5 GHz frequency, open the properties of the wireless interface driver and in its settings, check whether only one band is manually selected.

For example, on a Surface Pro 3 with the Marvell AVASTAR Wireless-AC Network Controller adapter, you can see that on the tab Advanced in property Band you can select which mode the adapter should operate in (Auto/2.4 GHz Only/5 GHz Only). Change the mode to Auto.

Windows 10 stops seeing 5GHz Wi-Fi after update

Some users complain that after upgrading Windows 10, the system stops seeing Wi-Fi networks with a frequency of 5 GHz. As a rule, the problem is solved by manually downloading and installing the latest driver for your wireless adapter from the manufacturer's website. Automatic driver updates are desirable.

If the adapter does not support the 5 GHz network

If your network adapter does not support Wi-Fi networks at 5 GHz, just use a regular 2.4 GHz network. If you really want to work at a new frequency, you can purchase an external USB WiFi adapter supporting 5 GHz frequency (above we described the requirements for 802.11 standards that the device must comply with).