Why Dual Band Wireless Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be
Now that Sabai is a hairs breadth away from introducing the long sought dual band wireless on the Linksys e4200 (and adding a second high-powered dual band router to the lineup), let’s focus on what dual band wireless technology actually means for the user.
Dual band means that the router can run both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless frequencies simultaneously. The more common frequency is 2.4 GHz, thus it is the most crowded. This may cause speed issues for highly populated areas, like parts of China or Singapore. If you live in a crowded region, a dual band or 5 GHz capable device might need to be a higher priority.
In addition to being a less crowded frequency, 5 GHz is more powerful. However, this power comes at the expense of range. A 5 GHz network is going to have a shorter reach and, in some parts of the world, isn’t available at all.
Interference can be an issue for either band. On one hand, 2.4 GHz can experience interference from devices such as microwaves and wireless phones. The routers proximity to these electronics should be considered when choosing this frequency. On the other hand, Bluetooth doesn’t play nicely with 5 GHz, and may cause serious disruption to the network on this band.
Many devices, like some Apple products, simply don’t work with 5 GHz, because it is wireless N only. A 2.4 GHz network is wireless G and wireless N, and works with any wireless enabled device.
Because of the various uses and restrictions, many customers think that simply running both frequencies is the way to go. However, Sabai technical support reports that largely, the idea that simultaneous frequencies will increase wireless speeds is a myth. At best the difference is negligible, at worst it can actually bog the network down. Some customers who purchase the e3000, Sabai’s current dual-band offering, end up disabling one of the frequencies to gain speed.
Not sure which way to go? Try prioritizing. When in doubt, remember everything will work with 2.4 GHz. If you live in a crowded area, 5 GHz may be useful either in addition to, or in place of, 2.4 GHz and you may wish to place a higher priority on a VPN Router with either multi-band or dual band capabilities. If you are Mac user who lives in a highly populated area, true dual band is very high priority because some of your devices may not run on the 5 GHz setting, necessitating dual band.
Look forward to exciting announcements in the coming weeks about Sabai OSv5 features and the new VPN Router lineup!
We couldn't have said it better ourselves …
We were recently copied on the following email from a long-time customer to a fellow expat. We thought that their explanation of VPN and Sabai Technology routers was so eloquent, we just had to share it with you!
*Names and locations have been changed to protect identities. This is NOT a paid endorsement nor was it requested or instigated in any way by a Sabai Technology or StrongVPN staff member.Good morning Sam* and welcome to Japan*!
Lucy* mentioned I might get an email from someone about the VPN. No problem. I would be happy to share what I know.
First I am guessing you already have DSL to your house and this email is from there? If so, the hard part is already done. If not, then you will first have to get internet service to your house and work from there. Lucy mentioned where you live – you should have pretty fast internet available in that area so speed should not be a problem.
What you will need to have a USA ISP for US only services ( Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix etc…) is a VPN (Virtual Private Network) that provides you a USA IP address to receive the services you want to subscribe to from the USA. There are MANY on the web. Some are free and others cost varies. We all know there is no such thing as free so I guess they get their $$ money from advertising etc…
I chose a VPN provider called StrongVPN. They are very reliable and helpful. I have had the service for more than a year now and not a single problem. There are 2 types of VPN, Open and PPTP service. I don’t recall what the differences are but I think I have the PPTP for some reason. Not sure why but it works great! The nice thing about StrongVPN other than the reliability is that they have a chat session available on their website to ask questions etc before and after you order.
Now the meat:
You can order the VPN service from the website directly and have almost immediate account and service to your ISP. This will provide you a single US IP address to one device for your Netflix for example. If you want more devices on a USA IP address as I would highly recommend you will need a VPN router. My system is over a year old and I needed 2 routers for my configuration. 1 local ISP and 1 VPN ISP address [editors note: You no longer need two routers to have a dual gateway configuration!]. There is a company, Sabai Technology that sells routers specifically for StrongVPN service. They are who I bought my system from. Their support is AWESOME! They are friendly and very helpful. You can call or email them with questions and they will provide you a wealth of information. In fact, I believe they can set up your router over the phone [editors note: This would be a reference to Sabai Freedom!]. The new systems they sell only requires 1 router which can now choose specific devices you want to have a local IP or VPN IP address. I plan to update my software on my router and illuminate the need of the second router. Ruth can also set up your router and system remotely with your approval of course and get you running in no time.
Their website is http://www.sabaitechnology.com and I would probably recommend the Linksys E3000 StrongVPN router that I have 2 of now and have worked great! There is a newer 4200 you might consider. I don’t know what you requirements or desires are. The new routers have the new OS that I am planning to upgrade to so it should be very easy to get you up and running.
If you already have service, you can probably get the VPN service account running tonight.
Good luck,
Sandra*
Troubleshoot Tuesdays: 2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz
Have you wondered what the difference is between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless? In our post today, we will be discussing the differences between the two, when to use them and why it is important.
If you have ever heard someone refer to a device as dual band wireless, the term indicates that a device has the capability to connect to the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency.
Here are a few facts about each frequency:
2.4 GHz
- Majority of devices use 2.4 GHz
- Has greatest distance
- Can be crowded because of so many users (may affect speed)
- May get interference from other devices running on the same band (i.e. microwaves, cordless phones etc.)
5 GHz
- Limited use, but better speed
- Many devices do not have 5 GHz available
- Only way to achieve optimum Wifi performance
- Less range, may need more access points
- Can cause connection issues if all devices are not running on 5 GHz
- Preferred for gaming and file streaming because of speed
Here are a few more facts regarding dual band:
802.11g = the device will only operate on 2.4 GHz
802.11n = the device will always operate on 2.4 GHz and some and 5 GHz
802.11ac = the device will only operate on 5 GHz
For MAC users out there, Apple offers dual band wireless on the majority of their products. When purchasing a product, make sure to check the specs on their comparison charts. They will list the capability of each device.
It is ultimately up to each user which frequency they decide to use. You have to look at the pros and cons of each connection, see what is available to you and what will give you the optimum performance and range.
A few of our Sabai Technology routers have dual band wireless capability for all of your dual band devices to connect to!
Check out our models that feature dual band wireless:
If you have additional questions about dual band wireless, leave a comment below. We would be happy to answer any questions you have!
Troubleshoot Tuesday: Using your AppleTV with Sabai Technology VPN router
Did you know that you can connect your AppleTV to your Sabai Technology VPN router?
Once you have set up the VPN connection on your Sabai router, you can wirelessly connect your AppleTV. You can now stream all of your favorite televisions shows, movies and music. It is that simple!
If your AppleTV is not properly connecting to the Sabai router, there is a chance that your local ip is still stored within the device. You can correct this by doing a reset to clear the cache on the device. DO NOT restore to factory defaults, performing a restore will erase all of the your personalized settings within the device. If you continue to have issues connecting your AppleTV, contact us at support@sabaitechnology.com
Have an issue you would like us to address in our Troubleshoot Tuesdays posts? Comment below!
Troubleshoot Tuesdays: Wireless interruption?
Is your wireless network not showing up in your Network and Sharing
Center? Trouble connecting wirelessly?
If you have a wireless assistant running on your computer (other than the traditional Windows Network and Sharing Center), you need to uninstall the program. The wireless assistant can often interrupt your wireless capabilities.
If you are using an older machine, you may want to change the encryption on your router to WEP. This will help with the wireless
connection. Follow these 3 simple steps to change your encryption to WEP:
1. Login to the router panel by typing 192.168.199.1 into an address bar of a web browser.
2. Click on the Network Tab of the router.
3. Scroll down to the Wireless Section of the router and make sure wireless is enabled. You can then choose WEP from the Security drop down list. Save the settings.
Still having issues with your wireless network? Contact us at support@sabaitechnology.com.
Have something you would like us to address on our next Troubleshoot Tuesdays post? Comment below!
Troubleshoot Tuesdays: Wireless Connection for MAC's
Is your MAC constantly disconnecting from your wireless network? We recently read a blog post by Michael Hyatt* regarding how to fix this very problem.
To resolve the issue, Try these 5 simple steps:
1. Go to Apple Menu on the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Select System Preferences>Network Icon.
2. In the dialog box, Click on the Advanced tab in the lower right-hand corner. Drag your network entry to the top of the list (It may take a few tries to grab and move to the top of the list.)
3. Click Apply Now and shut down the computer.
4. Next, restart the computer and zap the PRAM (Clearing the PRAM helps with any corruption that may have occurred).
5. To zap the PRAM, hold down the Command (?), Option, P, and R keys simultaneously immediately after re-starting the system. You must do this before the gray screen appears. Don’t let go of the keys until you hear the startup sound for the second time.
If this does not solve the problem, please contact us at support@sabaitechnology.com.
Have anything you want us to address on Troubleshoot Tuesdays? Leave a comment below!
*View original blog post by Michael Hyatt here.
