We must bear in mind that when connecting to a WiFi network, practically all routers currently offer us dual band and we can connect through the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz network. Current devices are usually intelligent and automatically choose the band that best suits what we need depending on whether we want greater speed or a greater range of coverage. But it is possible that you will not see 5G on your mobile or computer and we will explain why.
We must bear in mind that the 5G connection with the 5 GHz band of your router is different. 5G coverage talks about the mobile connection technology that allows us to connect to the Internet from the smartphone through the operator, but in these paragraphs we are talking about the band in which the router works, the 5 GHz band.
Why use the 5 GHz band
As we have explained in the introduction to this topic, most of today’s routers offer us two bands and we can connect to the 2.4 Ghz or 5 GHz network, and most devices assign one or the other intelligently without you have to choose manually. What differences does it have? The 5 GHz band offers us higher speed but less range. The 2.4 GHz band goes further but gives us less speed. And most routers work with both depending on the connected equipment and automatically managing the connections.
It depends on whether you want more speed or a greater range of coverage, you will choose one or the other, but if you have enough coverage and want speed, the 5 GHz band will be better. But, as we will explain below, it does not always appear.
Why doesn’t it work or doesn’t show up?
There are several reasons or cases why this band may not appear when you are going to connect to the router and we give you some of the most frequent…
Compatibility
Another reason may be that your equipment is not compatible because it is too old and cannot connect except to the 2.4 GHz band. In this case we cannot do anything to solve it except check the specifications of the equipment in the box, on the manufacturer’s website or in any document we have. This is usually less common on a mobile phone but make sure.
Network hidden or disabled
You may see in the router configuration that the network is hidden and that is why it does not appear among the available options. Go to the configuration of your router, which will depend on the brand and model you have, and look for the corresponding section. In Movistar, for example, look for “WiFi Plus” and see if the option to hide the network is active. If it was hidden, deactivate this section, save the changes and review.
The same happens if you have this 5 GHz band disabled on the router. Some of them, such as those from Movistar, may have a WiFi Plus button on the back that activates or deactivates it. You may have pressed it by mistake and it is disabled so make sure by going into the settings or factory reset your router to make it available again.
automatic connection
It may also be that the automatic connection is activated so that you automatically connect to the 2.4 GHz network without giving you the option to choose, it connects by default without you choosing between one or the other. In this case, just go to the WiFi settings on your computer or on your phone to choose manually.