🛜 How to Enable 5GHz WiFi on Your Laptop – A Complete Guide

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If your internet feels slow or crowded, switching to a 5GHz WiFi connection can significantly improve your speed and stability. The 5GHz band offers faster data rates and less interference compared to the traditional 2.4GHz band. But before you enjoy the benefits, you need to ensure your laptop supports 5GHz WiFi and know how to enable it.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to check compatibility, enable 5GHz on your laptop, and troubleshoot any issues.

✅ What Is 5GHz WiFi?

5GHz WiFi is one of the two main frequency bands used by wireless routers, the other being 2.4GHz. While 2.4GHz has a longer range, 5GHz provides higher speeds and is less prone to interference from devices like microwaves and Bluetooth.

🔍 Step 1: Check If Your Laptop Supports 5GHz WiFi

To verify whether your laptop supports the 5GHz band:

  1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and hit Enter.

  2. In the Command Prompt window, type:

    sql
    netsh wlan show drivers

  3. Look for the line that says:

    nginx
    Radio types supported

Interpretation:

  • If you see 802.11a/ac/ax, your laptop supports 5GHz WiFi.

  • If you only see 802.11b/g/n, then your laptop likely supports only 2.4GHz.

📡 Step 2: Make Sure Your Router Supports 5GHz

Before proceeding, make sure your WiFi router also supports 5GHz:

  1. Access your router’s settings via a browser:

    • Usually: 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1

  2. Log in using your admin username and password.

  3. Navigate to Wireless Settings.

  4. Enable 5GHz wireless band and give it a unique SSID (network name).

📶 Step 3: Connect Your Laptop to the 5GHz Network

  1. Click the WiFi icon in your Windows taskbar.

  2. Find the network name (SSID) that corresponds to your router's 5GHz network (often has “5G” in the name).

  3. Select the network and click Connect.

  4. Enter the WiFi password.

⚙️ Step 4: Force Your Laptop to Prefer 5GHz (Optional)

If your laptop keeps connecting to 2.4GHz, do this:

  1. Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.

  2. Expand Network adapters and right-click your WiFi adapter.

  3. Click Properties > Advanced tab.

  4. Look for a setting called:

    • Preferred Band

    • Wireless Mode

  5. Set it to 5GHz only or 802.11a/ac/ax.

Click OK and reconnect to your WiFi network.

🔄 Update Your WiFi Driver (Recommended)

An outdated driver may prevent access to 5GHz WiFi. To update:

  1. Go to Device Manager.

  2. Right-click on your WiFi adapter.

  3. Click Update driver > Search automatically.

Alternatively, visit the official website of your WiFi adapter (e.g., Intel, Realtek) for the latest drivers.




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