2.4GHz wifi is not suitable for two big reasons, interference and low bandwidth. 2.4GHz wifi in any kind of suburban or city environment and sometimes even in rural will be congested with other networks, microwaves, other appliances, etc causing massive speed degradation or fluctuations. The range of 2.4GHz is just too large for all the equipment that uses it in today’s world. In my previous apartment complex for example my phone could see 35 distinct 2.4GHz wifi networks while only 3 at max can operate without interfering with each other. In that same building i could only see 13 5GHz networks. Which brings me to the second issue of bandwidth

2.4GHz at least here in the US only has channels 1, 6, and 11 that will not interfere with each other. if anyone puts their network between these three channels it will knock out both the one below and the one above. Channel 3 would interfere with both channels 1 and 6 for example. By going up to 5GHz you have many more free channels, fewer networks competing for those channels, and higher bandwidth channels allowing for much higher throughput. 2.4GHz allows 40MHz wide channels which in isolation would offer ~400mbps, but you will never see that in the real world.

Personally, i think OEMs should just stop including it or have it disabled by default and only enable it in an “advanced settings” area.

Edit: I am actually really surprised at how unpopular this opinion appears to be.

  • skatrek47@sh.itjust.works
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    9 months ago

    I think it’s a fair opinion, but a lot of “cheap” IoT devices only support 2.4GHz, so I do have both networks setup in my house for that reason…

    • shortwavesurfer@monero.townOP
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      9 months ago

      IOT devices should support 5 GHz and at least for me personally, if it doesn’t support it, I don’t buy it. Which also means that I have no IOT devices. LOL. My alarm system only supports 2.4 GHz, but it also has a cellular radio, so has never been connected to Wi-Fi in the time I’ve owned it.

      • WallEx@feddit.de
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        9 months ago

        If your iot devices go on 5ghz you will soon have the same bamdwidth/airtime problem as with 2,4. Because if you’re not using WiFi 6e you won’t be able to have many clients talking at the same time.

        How many devices to you have connected via WiFi?

          • WallEx@feddit.de
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            8 months ago

            Yeah then maybe don’t assume that everyone has as few as you do, especially counting iot or home automation. That seems to be the core problem with this discussion.if you are living with other people you might have that many clients without the iot devices.