What is Dual Band Wireless Networking ?

In Wi-Fi wireless networking, dual band refers to the capability to transmit on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band simultaneously by using two different types of wireless radios.

Unlike ordinary Wi-Fi equipment, dual-band routers contain two different types of wireless radios. When first introduced years ago, dual-band routers supported both 802.11a and 802.11b/g and were designed for business networks that used a mix of both types of Wi-Fi clients.

Some newer 802.11n Wi-Fi routers also allow simultaneous dual band communication with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz clients. By supplying separate network bandwidth for each of the two types of links, these routers provide maximum flexibility in setting up a home network. For example, older 802.11b/g clients can be set to run on the 2.4 GHz side of a simultaneous dual-band router without impacting the performance of 802.11n clients running at 5 GHz.

Note that only certain models of routers offer dual band support, and only some of these allow simultaneous operation in both bands.