UNDERSTANDING WIFI
…looking for answers to WiFi questions… Are you having trouble connecting to Wi-Fi when you’re in certain areas of your home? Does your device suddenly disconnect from the network for no apparent reason? Does it take a long time to download large files? Do streaming movies pause or stop altogether?
Questions about WiFi coverage? Wishing your WiFi was faster? Call SRT for free Whole Home WiFi
WiFi Coverage & Interference
Low signal strength from interference or limited coverage can lead to a slow or no WiFi connection. One WiFi access point can usually cover a home if located ideally. An additional access point may be necessary for larger homes or a home with undesirably placed obstructions like:
- Large Appliances
- Concrete
- Neighboring WiFi Networks
WiFi Frequencies: 2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz?
2.4 GHz
2.4 GHz achieves slower speeds in comparison to 5.0 GHz, but 2.4 GHz is capable of greater range and greater penetration through solid obstructions.
5.0 GHz
When compared to 2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz is faster, but 5.0 GHz consiquently has reduced range. However, that reduction in range and obvious change in frequency reduces interference from other networks.
WiFi Standards and Speeds
WiFi speed is dependent on a number of variables making for a greater possibility of inconsistency and lesser speed that than of a far more predictable wired connection.
Better WiFi speeds and coverage emerge with the introduction of new industry standards. If your devices and the gateway or access point are both highly capable, the better your experience will be. However, an upgraded gateway will likely not greatly improve the performance of an out-dated smartphone or PC. And to be fair, the latest smartphone cannot reach it’s potential with a gateway that needs an update.
WiFi Device Speeds
Not all consumer devices are built the same. Older devices are built around older; slower WiFi standards. Some devices also have hardware advantages over others. Thus, creating a different experience between devices.
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The content below is moving to Speed Test - About Speedtest
This speed test site is recommended for SRT customers because the speed test server is hosted at SRT. By testing against a locally hosted server, SRT customers are testing their service from home to SRT and back.
With a device wired to the SRT gateway, SRT customers can expect to achieve 85% or better results in comparison to their service plan. WiFi devices are not so easy to predict.
Wired versus WiFi
Devices that are plugged into an SRT gateway are much more predictable than a WiFi device. For example, if you have SRT Gig Internet, a device with a 1000 Mbps Ethernet (GigE) port and good wiring connected to SRT’s gateway, you can expect nearly 1000 Mbps.
Devices connected via WiFi are not easy to predict. WiFi speed is dependent on a long list of factors. Visit srt.com/???? for more information about WiFi speeds and devices.
Ping & Jitter
Ping (a.k.a. Latency) is the measurement of the round-trip time from origin (computer) to destination (speed test server). A low ping is important to applications where timing is crucial (like video games). Ping is measured in milliseconds.
Jitter (a.k.a. Packet Delay Variation) is a measure of the inconsistency in ping over time. Jitter may be noticeable when streaming and gaming as high jitter can cause buffering. Jitter is measured in milliseconds.
The following is moving to Help & Support
Need an answer in the form of a question for the following
Better WiFi speeds and coverage emerge with the introduction of new industry standards. If your devices and the gateway or access point are both highly capable, the better your experience will be. However, an upgraded gateway will likely not improve the performance of an out-dated smartphone or PC. And to be fair, the latest smartphone cannot reach it’s potential with a gateway that is several generations behind.
Below is a list of WiFi industry standards and an idea of what they are capable of when paired with the right devices.
Published in 1999
| Frequency | Promoted Speed | Real-World Speed |
| 5 GHz | 54 Mbps | Up to 32 Mbps |
Approved in 1999
| Frequency | Promoted Speed | Real-World Speed |
| 2.4 GHz | 11 Mbps | Up to 3 Mbps |
Approved in 2003, 802.11g utilizes the 2.4 GHz frequency space
| Frequency | Promoted Speed | Real-World Speed |
| 2.4 GHz | 54 Mbps | Up to 29 Mbps |
802.11n was aproved in 2009 and has since picked up the name Wi-Fi 4 and is the first of the Wi-Fi standards to specify MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output, which is the use of multiple antennas to achieve higher speeds and dodge obstructions and interference) and Wi-Fi 4 is able to go dual-band, meaning both 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz are supported.
| Frequency | Promoted Speed | Real-World Speed |
| 2.4 GHz | 300 Mbps | Up to 150 Mbps |
| 5.0 GHz | 900 Mbps | Up to 450 Mbps |
Now referred to by some as Wi-Fi 5, 802.11ac was approved in 2013 and takes advantage of the 5.0 GHz frequency space, larger channels (in comparison to Wi-Fi 4) and MIMO to achieve higher speeds.
| Frequency | Promoted Speed | Real-World Speed |
| 5 GHz | 1.7 Gbps | Up to 930 Mbps |
Wi-Fi 6 was approved in 2019
| Frequency | Promoted Speed | Real-World Speed |
| 2.4 GHz | 1.1 Gbps | ? Mbps |
| 5 GHz | 4.8 Gbps | ? Mbps |
