Pros / Cons of setting up a 5GHz network in Airport Utility Wireless Option

thomas178 wrote:

Might using 5GHz lanes help get more WiFi speed?

In theory, the 5 GHz network, using 80 MHz-wide channels will provide network clients (that also support 5 GHz) with the best potential bandwidth on your local network. The best bandwidth will be achieved between the base station and the clients in the same room, as the 5 GHz signal has a much more difficult time penetrating solid objects ... like walls.

However, it will do nothing to increase the download/upload bandwidth of your Internet connection. That would be controlled by your ISP and the current Internet conditions.

There is another AirPort Extreme in the house that is set to 'extend' the network wirelessly (I wanted to ethernet it in but can't get a cable to that room, darn it).

... and, as you may already suspect, this would be the "weak link" in your current network setup. One potential workaround, but adds a bit of complexity, would be to use a pair of powerline adapters to create a pseudo Ethernet network between your mothership & this base station. No guarantee that it would improve things significantly, but may be worth a try. If you do decide to give it a go, purchase them from a vendor who has a good return policy should they not work out.

In other words, if it ain't broke, don't go buy really cool but so overkill Ubiquiti gear

I couldn't agree more ... except mine did break and I did go with the Ubiquiti UniFi line to replace it. ;) Night & day difference in capability, but does come with a bit of a learning curve. Regardless, no regrets after running with this equipment for over three years now. The UniFi line does primarily rely on an Ethernet backbone ... but does offer some meshing capability. Ubiquiti does offer a complete mesh solution, as well.

Bob has already provided you with an excellent reply which I would second without hesitation. FWIW, I still have a single 802.11ac Time Capsule running in my setup. Don't use it much for Time Machine anymore; I use a Synology NAS for that now ... but it still "keeps ticking (old Timex adage)" so I keep it around for simple file server services.

You must have a lot of time on your hands.

Are all of your Wi-Fi devices.....computers, phones, accessories, etc...... 5 GHz capable?

If yes, why not simply turn off the 2.4 GHz network on all the AirPorts and you will have a big 5 GHz network, with the fastest speed capability possible.

Otherwise, if you set up 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks using different wireless network names, you have to manually choose which network that you want to use from each Wi-Fi device. That's a lot of work, but if you have the time, it is an option.

Users will get the best results with the least amount of effort if they simply run the AirPorts as Apple intended and recommends in default mode as a dual band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz network. Then, devices will automatically connect to the best signal quality based on their distance from the AirPort.

Isn't that really what you are trying to accomplish? I've run my network with 3 AirPorts this way for many years. It's a case of leave well enough alone.

A faster signal is not necessarily a better signal. It might have more noise and interference present than the 2.4 GHz connection at a given point, which in effect slows down the signal quality, even though a simple speed check says that it is a faster connection. In other words, there is far more to a Wi-Fi signal quality than just speed.

You are losing half of the potential speed capability on your network in the jump from Mothership to LAX. The best thing that you could do at this time is spend the time....(and money, if needed).....to run an Ethernet cable.

In the case of the AirPorts, simple is best. But.....this is hard to accept for the guys that are constantly tempted to tinker with their networks in a constant search for the holy grail.

If mothership II is acting as your main DHCP and NAT router for the network, 325-350 Mbps is about the top end limit for the Internet speed capabilities of the AirPort Extreme.

This assumes that your modem is capable of delivering these speeds.

Now, if your modem is capable.....of say....800 Mbps then you are going lose 450-475 Mbps because of the limitations of the AirPort Extreme.

If you know the make and model number of your modem, we can check on some of the specifications of the product to see where things stand.

Good luck!